k. the american people should not be denied that because we are somehow cannibalized -- some new public policy that says the world of tomorrow is only broadband and not broadcast. >> >> tonight we'll take a look at some of the farewell speeches by and tributes to outgoing members. house and senate. including indiana senator richard lugar. and representative lynn woolsey of california. that begins at 8:00 p.m. eastern here on c-span. >> strangle me. take things from me. >> give it to him. >> he's not on that face. >> i've been on that bus. >> they are just as good as

gold. >> as all of us in this country were starting to see people coming out and talking about their experiences, this phenomenon, that so many of us had experienced in one way or another, and had no words for. other than adolescence, other than growing up. we finally -- people were starting to stand back and say, hold on. this isn't actually a normal part of growing up. this isn't a normal rite of passage. i think there was a moment where there was a possibility for change. and director lee hirsch and i decided to start the film out of that feeling that voices were kind of bubbling up. coming up to the surface to say this isn't something that we can accept anymore. a normal part of our culture. >> film maker cynthia loewen has followed up her award winning film by gathering essays and personal stories in "bully." hear more tonight at 10:00 on "after words" on c-span2 and

more book tv online, and like us on facebook. next chiefs of staff to the governors of virginia, colorado, and oklahoma talk about the fiscal issues of their states and how they're dealing with them. topics included medicaid costs, pension systems, and infrastructure projects. they also answered questions from the audience. hosted by the u.s. chamber of commerce this is just under an hour. >> thank you very much. thank you, everyone, for being here this morning. especially those who traveled to be with us. it's nice to close the doors from the rest of washington and the fiscal cliff debate for a little while and talk about fiscal challenges elsewhere. whether it's a good news or bad news, at least it gives us an opportunity to talk about something a little bit

different than the news of the day in this final two weeks, i think, before hopefully congress finds an opportunity to either avoid or move or solve some of the fiscal cliff issues and fiscal challenges that we face. and thank you for dick gravich and the work of the panel and the commission he co--led. there are copies of that report that were available when you came in. it's an excellent document that i really encourage everyone to take a close read. it's filled with good analytics in terms of what's going on on the state level. to help us understand. and i fully agree, dick, with your comments earlier about the disconnect. here in washington, obviously, we're facing our own serious challenges. and sometimes those challenges

seem so overwhelming that the notion of adding in the layer of complexity to think about the consequences outside of washington in the state legislatures and the governors' offices and in the states themselves may seem overwhelming. we are fortunate to some extent, there is some work that gets done by the congressional budget office as legislation moves through the process but i agree it's often inadequate and often comes too late in the game. and doesn't weigh on policymakers' minds successful. we're fortunate -- sufficiently. we're fortunate to talk not only about in theory but to hear really specifics from the practitioners. from folks who are on the ground, who do know what it's like. both in the political context and in the policy context of what it's like in the different states. and so let me just briefly outline how we'll spend the

next hour. i'll stop in about a minute talking. i'm going to give each of the -- i'll introduce each of the chiefs of staffs for five seconds each. give them a few minutes to share their views. three or four minutes on the floor will be yours to talk about whatever the issues are that you think are most important in your state, to describe your own successes and your own challenges and i would like to ask dick to respond. having studied so many states in addition to these three, to compare and contrast the comments that he's heard with the research that he conducted. and then we'll have a brief discussion for a little while. i'll pose a few questions and then we can open it up to the floor for a broader conversation. and so with that, let me just note who's here with us. to my right, martin kent, came up from richmond, he's the chief of staff to governor bob macdonald. to denise northrop came from

state of oklahoma where she is chief of staff to governor mary phalen and roxanne white is joining us from the great state of colorado where she's chief of staff to governor john hicken looper. and so their full bios are on the pamphlets and nare all very accomplished professionals in their careers. i'm going to ask roxanne to start and we can come down this way. >> great. first, thank you for the report. i think it provides a good framework for all of us as states to continue to look at the challenges facing us. we have been engaged in pension reform in colorado. our pension fund is about 69% solvent. we did major reform in the last administration. and we are now in court trying to defend that reform. our pension costs by 2020 will go to 22%. and so to give you a sense of how far behind we were as a

state, if we lose in court and the battle is whether or not we as a state have a right to ratchet down the colas for our state employees, then we could see a need to go to 25% of compensation by 2020. so it's fairly important that we are able to get through the litigation in terms of the ratchet down of what we are trying to do. we are also very concerned about medicaid costs. our medicaid costs are about 20% of our budget. growing at a rate of 8% per year. we are very engaged in putting everyone in medicaid into affordable care collaboratives and starting to see some significant cost savings from those efforts. we are also one of the six states that is moving full speed ahead on the exchange. we believe that the exchange offers the opportunity for two things. one, it was largely supported by our small businesses in colorado as a way to help them actually be able to afford insurance for their employees. and we had a very bipartisan

effort to move forward with our exchange. so we're looking at cost containment there. and how we really get everyone into a managed care type situation. we have 17% of our population that drives 67% of our medicaid costs. and it is almost exclusively our aging population and our disabled population. so really focusing in on -- because we have such a disproportionate number of small -- small percentage of people who are driving our costs of really how do we con taken -- we contain our costs? we are moving out of a payment per service to a payment overall for clients. and really bringing down our costs that way. final thing we are doing in terms of local government is our department of local affairs is working with our local municipalities on consolidations. trying to get our fire departments to consolidate. our police departments to consolidate. at the local level. not forcing localities to do

that but prior to becoming governor, mayor hickenlooper was able to consolidate in the metro denver region our fire departments and our pieces of our police departments and pieces of our road improvement. and so really saying to our local municipalities and one of the first executive orders we did was no unfunded mandates to the municipalities. so we're doing our part of not trying to pass on additional costs. but you have to do your part of really trying to control your costs and think about working with your neighbors at the same time. because we think our municipalities are in serious trouble. the last thing that we had really been doing is we have had over the last two years a 22.7% increase in personal income. we believe a great deal of that is one-time money. so we've been working with our legislature. we've gone from 0% reserves in 2011 in colorado to 8% reserves overall in our budget of 5% unrestricted reserve as a state. and really working with our legislature that what we see as

one-time money must only be spent on one-time costs. and we are engaged in that fight on a daily basis with trying to create a better sense of how do we fund things? and how do we look at when revenues returning, not just throwing the barn doors wide open and spending everything but having a state start to have some reserves. so that's where we're at in colorado. >> can i ask one quick followup question? why is that money one-time money? where is it coming from? >> we're seeing capital gains that we believe very strongly is one time. so looking at things like we can do water quality improvement. we can do deferred maintenance and local municipality projects. but we really don't think it's sustainable revenue yet. >> thanks. denise? >> when governor phalon took office we didn't have the shortfall that some other states did. but we still didn't have the best budget picture.

but her promise as governor during the campaign was to create the best business environment possible. create more and better jobs. and to make government smaller, smarter and more efficient and we jumped right in and did that with things like tort reform and workers comp reform. agency consolidation. i.t. consolidation. some of those common sense approaches that you wish washington would do more often that we don't see. but those are things that are saving us millions of dollars. our i.t. consolidation alone is estimated to save $180 million over the course of the governor's term and potentially next term. we also in the same situation as colorado had $2 in our rainy day fund and then just two short years we've moved that to over $500 million. when we took office the governor likes to say we were operating an eight-track bureaucracy in an ipod world. so it's really just thinking about how we do things smarter, more efficiently, and using the

technology and the resources that we have to make things more efficient and more cost effective for state government. in terms of pension reform, we also had a $16 billion unfunded liability that we reduced by $5 billion just by simply passing a law that says we couldn't actually pass a cola that was not funded. ours wasn't challenged in court fortunately. so we do -- we're looking at more pension reform. we have seven pension systems in the state. they all are operated by independent pension boards that have different -- different rules, different structures. looking at the potential of having them under one board that monitors all of the pensions so that you have across the board unanimity in those. governor fallin, i know

governor hickenlooper and governor mcdonald believe firmly that the states are the laboratory for innovation. and the way that you're going to glean? some of the most innovate of ways we use our resources. we talked about infrastructure earlier. one thing we've done in the state of oklahoma is our transportation secretary and odot, we took down 9,000-foot bridge in oklahoma city. and to get rid of structurally deficient and obsolete bridges. so over the next 10 years, we will go from the bottom in the country in terms of structurally deficient and obsolete bridges to the top in terms of creating that infrastructure in our state. and we're literally recycling beams and saving millions of dollars by something that would

have just been thrown out under normal circumstances. and it's the only project like that of its kind in the country that we're pretty proud of. the other thing that we're doing, roxanne's governor, governor hickenlooper, tom mentioned before the third bucket of energy. governor fallin and governor hickenlooper created an initiative to convert state fleets to c.n.g. and governor mcdonell as well is supportive. we went to detroit with a group of 13 governors signed on to an m.o.u. and we had -- convert our fleets to c.n.g. and produce a fleet vehicle and give us that ability to do that efficiently. we'll give you the market. we'll put up 5,000 cars that we commit to buying. and we're going to save our states dollars by the fuel efficiency. but we also have the added bonus of creating jobs in our state. and then c.n.g. producing

state. as well as energy independence. it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to be buying energy from countries that are not necessarily favorable to us and not stable as well. and we've got all the energies that we need. we've seen the reports that we could be energy independent by 2020 in this country. and we need to be doing everything we can to boost that energy production and my state in colorado, and then several other energy-producing states. the innovation is coming from our business centers in the state and across the country. and the more we can do to use and find ways to expand that energy we are going to be better off for it. all that being said, oklahoma has been second in job growth since governor fallin has been in office. we've had a 2.7% increase. we're one of the lowest states in unemployment. we've had the fourth highest increase in per capita income. and third in manufacturing job growth. so we feel like the things that we've been doing in office are

producing those but the fiscal cliff is going to have devastating effects on us. we have rejected medicaid expansion. it would cost our state $475 million through 2020 which is just unsustainable for us to carry on those costs. without facing major cuts in education, infrastructure, transportation, public safety. and the air space and defense industry in our state as well is looking at the potential of losing 16,000 jobs if we go off the cliff and see questation occurs. so some things potentially that are not so good. >> to follow up on the fleet issue, is that going forward? >> absolutely. >> what did detroit say? >> absolutely. we put the r.f.p. out there.

and we have -- i'm not the expert on this -- we have a half ton truck out there now. we're looking for a three quarter ton truck. there are fleet vehicles and we're looking for different type fleet vehicles that are under production. but we actually are purchasing those and our entire department of transportation will be c.n.g. over the course of the next year. >> governor mcdonald, thank you for the opportunity to speak and what we're doing in virginia, much like what denise and roxanne have talked about, we are doing a lot of those things in virginia as well. in virginia, we had the fortune of an incoming governor inheriting a newly minted biennial budget from the outgoing governor. when governor mcdonell came into office in 2010, we inherited a budget shortfall of about $6 billion. part of that, $1.8 billion of that was in last six months of fiscal year 2010.

and the other four plus billion of that was associated with the next ben um. so we came into office and rolled up our sleeves and figured out how we would fill that hole. and fill it without raising taxes. the outgoing governor had proposed $2 billion personal income tax increase to offset part of that. and also had requested that the state roll back tax relief. car tax relief that had been implemented years prior. our mandate from the governor working with the finance secretary and all of state government was to find ways to cut costs, to do it, to balance the budget as we're required to do in virginia by the constitution. and to do it without raising taxes. we did that. oom proud to say that governor mcdonell through his leadership within that six-month time period not only did we eracial the zest and do it without raise being ging taxes but ad 400 million surplus in july of 2010.

we had a surplus in 2011 and this year in 2012. they've averaged anywhere from about $550 million to the lowest was in 2010 of $400 million. the average being about $450 million over that time period. one of the biggest things we did is came in and health care costs are escalating just like they are in every state. but governor mcdonnell put forth policies he believed private sector policies to encourage, to incentivize state government to not operate as usual. a couple of examples. we came in and the governor put in what was in 2010 somewhat controversial, particularly with some of his friends in the legislature, a pay performance, 3% bonus plan. what we said is state employees, you figure out how we save money year end, break the cycle of spending down to the last nickel at the end of the fiscal year like many states in the federal government do, figure out how

to save that money and we'll return up to 3% of that to you as a bonus. we save three times the cost of the bonus. it was a success. in 2011, somewhat different, the governor told state agency heads, you find ways to save money, return it to us for use in the general fund, and we will in turn allow you to keep a small percentage of that to cover some of these one-time costs to upgrade services for the constituents. we were very successful in doing that. significant in the hundreds of millions of dollars were returned to the state that year in savings. this past year, once again, the governor redid the 3% performance bonus plan. it cost about $70 million. and we returned again well over twice that cost in savings to the state. the governor has really ramped up and there has been some controversy associated with it. ramped up the use of

public-private partnerships in virginia. whether it be to build infrastructure, such as highways, or to outsource some of the functions in state government that have quintessentially been known to be state functions. we believe we've saved hundreds of millions of dollars in doing so. and we are returning that money to the bottom line. much like denise talked about, we came into office a rainy day fund was about $300 million. we're projected including with the governor will announce next week in his next budget announcement on monday, we will be well over $700 million in the rainy day fund. in addition to that, we've put about $250 million prior to the governor's announcement there will be some additional funds going into higher education into higher education and really the effort there is to try to bring down those tuition costs as dick talked about. they have been escalating in virginia just like they have in every other state. we're very honored in virginia to have a great higher education system. but the schools were becoming unaffordable for virginia residents. and so the governor tried to

find ways to bring down those costs. once again, a public-private solution was in place. and what the governor told college presidents, ok, the state will put in additional money. you need to find ways to cut costs and to reallocate up to a percentage of what you're currently getting to reallocate that back and put it into students in the schools. not into building more buildings. but to put it into the school and into the students. so again, governor mcdonnell's mantra really for the last three years is to hold state government accountable for our expenditures, to expect more, to implement private sector solutions. we've been very fortunate to bring down our unemployment rate. 5.7% in virginia. we came into office, it was about 7.3%. but we were very concerned with what's going on in d.c. we are -- we will be disproportionately impacted. we know in virginia by what will inevitably have to occur in d.c. and that's cuts. we are obviously connected to

d.c. we have a huge defense sector in virginia. whether it be hampton roads or the private contractors in northern virginia. we know that. there are estimates out there of a job loss of over 150,000 jobs lost. potentially as a result of squeftation. -- sequesteration. we created what's called a fact fund a federal action contingency trust fund. we are in addition to putting money no our rainy day fund we are putting money into a fund where the governor has pretty broad discretion. consults with the legislature but unlike the rainy day fund which is based solely on a drop in revenue, the fact fund is intended to address cuts in areas where we can put funds into particular sectors in northern virginia or hampton roads to offset those costs to just incentivize the private sector to come back in and create those jobs and replace those jobs and grow them. so we are trying to work with a lot of private sector solutions in virginia. to address the challenges that

we have. they're great. but we're ready for the challenge. and we're going to do our part obviously with the balanced budget. we must balance our budget if it requires cutting. that's what will happen. we have tried to be very conservative in our revenue estimates. knowing that these things loom out there. but with the uncertainty in d.c., it's really difficult. the governor will announce next week his budget for next year. but we've already talked to the leadership and general assembly and session in january, we can come back to you in late january or early february depending on what happens in d.c. and we may have to make significant changes. one of the last things that we did prior to completing the budget was the governor had me send out a request to all arings heads saying submit his plans for 4% reduction of your state agencies. the governor is implementing some of that in his budget next week but we're holding some of that in abeyance. knowing that we may need that come january or february. so we're trying to have things on the shelf and ready to do if we need to do it. >> thanks. dick, if you want to take a minute.

are these representative states or not and -- >> one of the great things about this country is i don't think any state is the same as every other state. i think these states are smaller states, more rural states. states in which public employee unions have less leverage in the politics which makes a big difference. and i think where the infrastructure needs are nowhere near as great as they are in the states that have central cities which require massive public transportation. mechanisms. the fact that those analogies aren't there doesn't diminish in any way the quite prudent and proper steps that these states have taken to keep their own fiscal house in order. certainly having rainy day funds which many of the big

northern states haven't had is absolutely critical to take care of the enormous variations that occur in budgets, in the economy. i think you can't lose sight of the fact that one of the reasons you have smaller medicaid expenditure is because of the federal formula. which favors some states because it isn't based on the actual need. it's based on a median income calculation. and as a result of that, a state like new york or california has a lot more poor people. and it also has a lot of rich people. it doesn't get the same break. i think you get 60% or over 60% reimbursement from the feds. you get 50%. you get -- i think it's you. get 60%. i can't remember everybody's

numbers. i tried to educate myself. and in new york, we only get 50%. it makes a big difference. pam moynihan who always tried to change those formulas, ended up sake it's all james madison's fault. >> and we appreciate -- >> i think there are a couple of things that are terribly, terribly important and don't contradict anything that you all said. but we don't have a very good way of measuring the adequacy of our infrastructure. we know that the chinese spend eight times as high of percentage of their g.d.p. in infrastructure as we do in this country. and we know that that's got to make us less competitive. and i think i learned from the people at the chamber here that

the cost of moving goods in the united states is greater in absolute dollars than it is in europe or in asia. and i don't know personally how you grow a real economy without being able to produce goods in a competitive way. i think that it's important to also understand that there are so many factors that go into the adequacy of an educational system. you've referred to consolidation. absolutely critical. and new york state, 650 school districts. a lot of them, each of whom has their -- has one school bus or some of whom have one school

bus and a commissioner transportation. >> oklahoma as tiny as we are have 521 school districts. >> that is a very tough nut politically. because education is always local. and always wants to make sure her kid gets on the football team. and it's hard to change that. but there's enormous, enormous redundancy in expenditures there. and that has to be addressed. also, the nature of the population varies. and that has an impact on the quality of education. and the ability of schools to teach. and the same time we have to recognize that 50 years ago, we had -- there weren't very many opportunities for women. there weren't very many women running states of these united states 50 years ago. so the greatest opportunity

professionally, women in the teaching profession and now they're outdoing us males in many cases. so that has changed as well. but there isn't a national solution to that. that is a situation that's totally local. last of all, let me say that one of the reasons states are in trouble is because they have borrowed against the future to pay for the present. in albany i saw one financial institution after another come to albany, we'll solve your budget problems for you.

we'll discount your future revenues. a politician said that's great. if we can borrow against the future, then we don't have to tax, and we don't have to cut. i would respectfully submit to you there are tens of billions of dollars around this country that are -- where future revenues have been high poth indicated to solve today's budget problems. that could be stopped. it could be stopped statutorily with self-discipline in the financial services world. it could be stopped by the rating agencies. it could be significant distinctions created. and last of all, somebody raises the question about what happens? i think tom did. if a state runs out of money. should the federal government do anything?

well, if you'll permit me, i did all the negotiations on behalf of new york in 1975 with president ford and bill simon and -- to get federal help. it was a good thing that ford waited as long as he did to step in. because when he finally stepped in, he was able to do something that made a difference without imposing any financial risk on the federal government whatsoever. and he was able because he waited until the last possible moment to be able to impose discipline on the state in consideration for having provided something that wasn't even cash. provided a line of credit. the interest rate of which was higher than what treasury normally found and they took back a lien on every dollar the federal government transferred to states and local

governments. under all programs, education, infrastructure, and anything else. so that it would have been so bloody painful for any state to fail to help. that the facts never came about. i am not advocating that the federal government extend credit or write a check. i am saying that there are ways in which the federal government can politically sensible way impose some discipline on this process. if they wish to. and every politician in new york, the unions, the banks, everybody did what they swore they wouldn't do. because the alternative was so much worse. so whether the discipline is -- comes from laws or from the ability of somebody else to

take something away, if you don't behave in a responsible and prudent fashion, these problems and these dollars that we're talking about, a sufficient consequence to require a careful examination of all ways of trying to keep this society together. >> let me interrupt you right there so we can do a little bit of conversation and allow a chance to bring everybody in as well. i want to thank everyone for their remarks. and just listening to what folks said in their opening remarks, we want to throw out a few questions to each of you. in particular, given dick's comment about the match and how it varies, and what i didn't know, which is that it's relatively high in colorado. but roxanne, what you described on the health care front is really quite innovative, right? and we're talking about the problems that we're having on the federal level with finding

innovative ways to deliver health care that the federal government's responsible for exclusively in the medicare system. and one of those approaches that's talked about and the affordable care act gives the authority to experiment with are what are called episodic payments, the alibi to say to a physician -- the ability to say to a physician, you don't get paid more by doing more but get paid for treating the patient in the way that patient needs to be treated. you're doing that, you said, in colorado, despite the fact that you have a fairly generous match. is that on its way? >> well, just because we have a more generous in some states f map doesn't mean that costs aren't a primary issue for us. they are very much. and so having a little more generous has allowed us to move forward with some expansion, has allowed us to move forward with the exchange. we believe in ways that some states have not been able to

do. but it doesn't mean that we can ignore the cost containment issues or the fraud issues or -- we are also really working aggressively with the federal government on return visits. and hospital releases. and how we take away dollars if people leave the hospital and have to return. and so really looking at that whole arena of patient care. the other thing that we did 18 months ago was we went to all medicaid patients, also having a co-payment, on every visit. and it's not a significant co-payment. but we have significantly changed our medicaid emergency room visits by the use of co-payments. and a higher co-payment. and it's really not that significant. but for income it is significant. so it's a mere $5. and we have reversed our overuse of emergency room

visits by simply charging the $5. and we've been able to really drive behavior change. and so we are starting to see that it doesn't take that big of a carrot or that big of a stick to change behavior. and so really going to a place of just like everybody pays a portion for their health care. so do medicaid. so really trying to drive behavior. and also driving behavior on the physician side. >> great. in the state of oklahoma, and the state of virginia, the unemployment situation is quite favorable at the moment. both states, virginia, 5.7% and oklahoma 5.3%. i think those are -- at least in oklahoma, i believe it's a state that's traditionally had an unemployment rate lower >> as low as in the 4%. >> so sort of odd fact, which is when you look at what the average unemployment, typical unemployment rate is in a given state it varies significantly across states. so north dakota, it's always

4%. and other states are often have sort of standard equilibrium rates that are much higher. so things from that perspective are fairly good in both states. and similarly, the unemployment rate has fallen, in all three states. but particularly in oklahoma and in virginia. and so obviously as more people go back to work, more people are paying taxes. obviously there's a political temptation to recognize those changes and capitalize on them. but sometimes it's just good luck, right? sometimes it's just the business cycle. sometimes it's factors outside the state. policy arena. to what -- to what extent do you attribute the successes on the state level to the policies that have been put in place, versus the natural business cycle that's going on? i'll let either one of you or both of you. >> one of the biggest distinctions we're quick to point out is certainty. i think one of the biggest problems was businesses in this

country, the fear and uncertainty they have with the federal system. and businesses are unwilling to expand and invest. and do that. because they don't know what the situation is going to be with the federal system and the economy. and what we're doing with taxes, etc. the difference in oklahoma is that when people locate their -- expand there, people are pretty confident that they know exactly what path we're on. they know the governor's plan is to continue to reduce red tape and regulations on businesses. we had a quarter point tax cut the first year she was in office. we will advocate for a continued lower taxes in oklahoma. and we'll have another proposal this year. we weren't successful last year. but our mission is to be successful. this year at reducing taxes. so businesses know that the environment there we're creating is going to be one that will be conducive to their expansion. and i think that's why we have had success, that it is attributable to our policies locally.

on a national level you may not see because of some of the hess tancy with the national environment. -- hesitancy with the national environment. >> there are some things that make virginia unique. proximity on the east coast. the fact that we've got a lot of major interstates that run through virginia. certainly benefit us. but really in going to denise's point, a lot of it is certainty. and we are also the northern most right to work state on the east coast. that is a tremendous benefit to us in the commonwealth of virginia as far as attracting businesses. in addition to that, hampton roads, we've got the largest deep water port on the east coast. we are planning to take full advantage of the panama canal, the changes there coming soon. which gives us the ability to bring commerce into virginia. we are aggressively building our rail system. going from the port of virginia west to try to get that traffic out west. we are -- just announced that we are building another highway.

it will be a toll access highway. but one of the primary purposes of that highway is to bring truck traffic from the port of virginia inland. and connect it directly with interstate 95. and so that will help us again through the commerce side of the equation to bring in new commerce and the commonwealth of virginia. i'm going to mention something that's been a little bit taboo as of late. the governor is not ashamed of it as all. as a matter of fact we've taken full advantage of it. and it was discussed earlier, that's incentives to business. the governor has put significant additional resources into our virginia economic development partnership. both funds that he has at his disposal to incentivize and encourage business to come to virginia. but also resources to build up infrastructure that we need to do in virginia. i know there was a piece in "the new york times" recently that criticized the use of that. but in virginia, some of the things that were pointed out as concerns, the fact that states have neglected to invest in higher education. we're doing that in virginia. the fact that states are not keeping an eye as to where these resources are going.

we're not doing that in virginia. as a matter of fact, we are aggressively pursuing claw-back provisions on any funds we give to the private sector to investize them to come to virginia. we've enforced that aggressively. we're looking to build infrastructure in virginia. we're not neglecting those priorities that truly helps to bring business in virginia. sure, we are definitely fortunate to be where we are on the east coast. to have right to work laws. to have just our proximity with the port. but i think it's a combination of certainty. a combination of a little bit of good luck maybe if you want to call it that. proximity. but an aggressive governor, really and to give our general assembly credit. they've been very supportive in that effort to use incentives but to hold business accountable when they take advantage of those incentives and come to virginia. so i think it's a combination of all those. >> let me ask one last question and we'll open it up to the floor. in my role over at the american enterprise, i'm a tax guy. so on the federal level,

primarily. and so dick, i was struck by your comments earlier, when we think about tax reform, the mantra is broaden the base. and there's a lot of interest that was key to the simpbon-bowles commission and to a lot of other proposals that have been floated, having a broader definition of income would allow the federal government to maybe lower rates or certainly collect more revenues. but those can have other consequences. the consequences in my view are mixed. and you talked about the state and local deductions. state and local tax deduction which obviously -- at least in my view is a subsidy but regardless of how you term it is a policy of benefit to states, particularly states with high income tax rates. but there are offsetting factors, too. and so for one, the mortgage interest deduction. which is also one of our largest tax expenditures. many states have coupled their income tax system to the federal income tax system. and so as the federal government were to broaden their tax base, so too would

the states. and they would have a benefit. and so let me ask two questions on the tax front. and dick, actually, you alluded to both of them in your opening remarks. one is the use tax issue. the amazon issue. or the out of state sales tax collection issue. big effort on the states' parts to advocate for federal legislation to facilitate the collection of those use taxes. are those issues that your states are advocating for or working on behalf of? do you see that as a large revenue opportunity for you in terms of offsetting collections? and do, on the federal tax reform front. to what extent do you see opportunities or do you see risks from base broadening reform? >> well, i think your point is correct. that there are some tax expenditures which -- states would benefit from as well.

i think each of these stand on their own. you have a series, if you look at a chart of what states follow the federal tax code and what respect, a lot of them follow some parts of the federal tax law. not all of them. some differ on estate taxes. and i guess i feel that spending money, whether it's a tax expenditure or an appropriation, to get somebody to go from one jurisdiction to another, given the problems that the united states of america faces today, is not a useful expenditure. of limited public resources. and i know that flies in the face of a lot of states who

wish to bring jobs in. but if you bring jobs in by offering all kinds of tax abatements and exemptions, as new jersey did recently. a zero sum game. because your pension fund is so underfunded in nrge there's no way they can meet the obligations. they're constitution al obligated to make. so what's the net accomplishment? i mean, i remember years ago there was a silly program in the carter years called the you dig program where states actually got an appropriation from the congress and used it to bribe a business to move from one state to another. that was reducio ab surdum. >> let's have comment on your views on the tax front. >> our small businesses have

asked for equity with the amazons of the world. and so we have been doing some of that. we have been very clear with our taxpayers that we would not ask for tax increases until we had -- at least on two things. one was we did significant personnel reform. this last year with the voters and after 11 times of our voters turning down the ability to take our personnel rules out of our constitution. finally did that. and got rid of some things like public employee bumping rights. and really moved to more of an at will employee state. and we said that was the first thing that had to happen. the second thing that we've been able to do is we have been in a process of leaning all aspects of government and required our departments that when they -- the revenue started coming back, they could not ask for any money that had been cut before from consolidations. and could not replace any leaning efforts so take dollars invested in higher education and do those sort of things instead. what we've said to our

taxpayers is we haven't cleaned our own house yet. so we would not be asking for any additional revenue. >> we've been able to have that initial quarter point. we'll look for another tax cut this year. we know on the federal level if the bush tax cuts were to expire, that our g.d.p. would slow down. estimates of .5% and at the rate that we're growing now, that would be significant. for us. and so we are keeping a very watchful eye. my governor along with other governors were up here last week meeting with the president and the speaker and harry reid, what they do here will have significant impacts on our states. and i think the states offer a lot of good ideas and a lot of things that i think the guys in d.c. need to listen to. because they lose sight of the impact that all of those things will have on the state. it's very easy for people to

advocate for the mortgage tax deduction or the charitables. a lot of the things that won't have a lot of advocates are the things that impact the state. so more than likely going to be on the chopping block. because they won't have constituencies other than our governors fighting for them. >> really quickly, a lot of the same things that roxanne and denise said are true in virginia as well. just a couple of quick points. we are a conformity state in virginia as are many other states. which traditionally had been. we'll likely continue to be. last year, we addressed the governor actually had me address this directly. the so-called amazon issue in virginia. we had like many states just gotten a large infusion of new jobs from amazon. and we addressed the issue in virginia and began to collect the sales and use taxes. have them remitt that to the commonwealth. obviously what the marketplace equity act and marketplace fairness act in congress, a lot of states are waiting to see what happens there.

but we've positioned ourselves. we believe as well as possible to deal with that. one thing i didn't point out that i think it goes to something we said a few minutes ago, we like the other states, we came into office, had significant challenges with our pension system. we still have significant challenges. but the governor has done a couple of things. this past year, we reformed our pension system and gone from a defined benefit plan to a hybrid plan effective in 2014. that's for new employees. so we think we've eliminated or minimized the legal challenges that we know that will probably come. we'll see in 2014 whether that happens. but secondly, the governor with some of these savings that i mentioned earlier put significant hundreds of millions of dollars back into our pension system. to try to buy down some of those liabilities that have accrued over time. they are a serious problem. and we're going to have to continue to watch that closely. but in virginia, by and large, we feel like we're as prepared as we're going to be. we know cuts and changes will take place in d.c. we'll wait to see where the chips fall. but we're going to be prepared

through things like the fact fund, extra reserves, to try to have as much liquidity as possible to deal with those. >> great. thanks. i would like to open it up to the floor. we've heard a lot about pensions and unemployment education, a lot of other issues. that -- there may be other topics that haven't come up here or maybe people want to dig deeper. i don't know if there's a microphone or -- there's a microphone here and if you raise your hand i'll take a question at the front table. state your name and make the question pretty brief because we're short -- a little bit short on time. >> my name is sam gilbert and i'm a member of the chambers employees benefit committee. one of our last meetings we had a representative from medicaid. and we talked about whether or not medicaid is even factoring in long-term care costs and the answer is no. they're not. so medicaid costs are going to significantly increase. the question that i have, however, is it seems that with

all the unfunded promises on health care and retirement, municipal financing has seen its brighter days. and is there any efforts and what are the efforts of alternative public-private investment partnerships to invest in infrastructure and job creation? >> can i -- let me take two questions together. and then we'll -- people will mix it together. this woman right here. >> i'm a representative for nonprofit america. and i have a two-part question. what are the partnerships that you're having with let's say the department of labor or department of energy, the e.p.a., and the s.b.a. with regard to helping small businesses primarily in the regulatory issues? with the use of i.t.? and number two, what are your states doing to nonprofits with regard to pilot programs and that's payment in lieu of taxes? >> so partnerships. private partnerships, federal

partnerships, and partnerships for the nonprofits in the states. >> well, let me try to answer the first question. it's a very appealing concept. but the truth of the matter is that if you want to build something, and it's going to cost you x dollars, you really want to be able to service that money you borrow to pay for it. you borrow -- you want to borrow x dollars and borrow it as inexpensively as you can. particularly if the revenue that you're going to use to pay the debt service on x dollars is going to come from user charges. and even more compellingly important, if it's going to come out of general tax revenues. and it's not going to come from any other place. so the fact that you have private enterprise and private infrastructure funds is

perfectly sound for projects that are optional in my view. but it's not a solution for an essential mass transit subway system. or bus system. and i remember when i ran the m.t.a. in new york, people would ask me all the time, why -- why is it open 24 hours a day? and the answer is so all the people who clean your homes and your offices can get to and from their own residences. you cannot run most of these public facilities on the basis of purely economic soundness. when they serve a public function. so if you were a governor or mayor you would want to borrow that money as inexpensively as you possibly can. as i said, at the risk of repeating it, if you were using general revenue dollars to give that service or charging people

a fare or tuition or fee or a use fee to get into a state park or whatever, you would want those as low as possible. and, therefore, i don't think the p-3 concept has much in the way of sustainability or it will never amount to a significant part of any major infrastructure endeavor in the united states. >> >> want to take issue with that or the other question? >> as i said a few minutes ago, we are aggressively using them in virginia. our laws are ppta laws. the transportation side of the equation were put on the books. a little over a decade ago. and so we are aggressively using them. we are using -- we mentioned a few moments ago and used the ppta and will use it to build a new interstate which will get traffic and primarily designed for truck traffic and can be

used for vehicles. but to get transport vehicles, goods and services quickly to other access points, either taken out by rail or to go on the interstate systems, we are using it also in the education arena. our ppea, education facilities act, is being used in virginia to build schools. it's being used to build municipal garages. it's being used for a lot of different purposes in virginia. we find a -- what we cannot do it alone. even if we bring in additional revenue on transportation, the gotch said we can't do it -- governor said we can't do it alone without partnerships. dick's point is well taken. for example, some of the ppta's we're doing we announced a 495 express lane in northern virginia. that's built with a ppta. they will continue to be responsible for maintenance on that. long after it's complete. maintenance costs alone in transportation have skyrocketed. with the cost in increase in

petroleum. petroleum is a major factor in asphalt. i believe in the last 20 years it's increased by 350%. so there are costs that you can contract with the private sector to take off the books. yes, there's an expense associated with that. but again, it takes that issue off the books for the state. and it allows it to put those funds into other places. >> ok. and i know that was another question. unfortunately, we're well over our time. and i would encourage you to corner these guys when they get off stage and ask your question to them directly. with that, we're going to conclude this panel. and we're going to move straight into the next session. i would like to thank all the participants for their time. [applause] >> on newsmakers, washington representative kathy mcmorris rogers, incoming republican conference chair, she looks at the so-called fiscal cliff and how republicans and democrats can come to agreement. she also talks about republican priorities for the next

congress. newsmakers. sunday at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. >> my inspiration was the idea that i wanted to explain how totalitarianism. -- happens. we know the story of the gold war and the documents and we've seen the archives that described relationships between first roosevelt and stalin and churchill and then truman. we know the main events from our point of view. we read them. we've written them. what i wanted to do was show from a different angle, from the ground up, what did it feel like to be one of the people who were subjected to this system? and how did people make choices in that system and how did they react and how did they behave? it's interesting. one of the things that's happened since 1989 is the region that we used to call eastern europe has become very differentiated. it's no longer -- these countries no longer even have much in common with one another except for the common memory of

communist occupation. >> more with pulitzer prize winner anne abblebaum on life in soviet east germany, poland and hungary from the end of world war through to 1956 and her historical narrative "iron curtain" sunday night at 8:00 on c-span's "q&a." >> tonight on c-span farewell speeches and tributes from the 112th congress. first republican senator from indiana, richard lugar delivers his farewell speech from the senate floor followed by senator lugar's john kerr at a dinner for the anniversary of the senate relations committee and california representative lynn woolsey gives her farewell address to the house of representatives. she's followed by a tribute by other members of congress to outgoing california representatives. indiana senator dick lugar is retiring after the 112th congress. he won election to the senate

in 1977. after serving two terms as mayor of indianapolis. and he's the longest serving u.s. senator in the and he is the longest-serving senator in the state's history, but he was defeated by the treasurer. he was chairman of the foreign relations committee from 1985 to 1987 and again from 2003 them 2007, and he is currently its ranking member. -- from 2003 to 2007, and he is currently its ranking member. this is about one half hour. >> madam president, i rise today to address my colleagues on a number of issues important to the future of the united states and to offer some perspective on senate service.

in a few weeks, i will leave the senate for new pursuits that will allow me to devote much deeper attention to a number of issues that have been a part of my senate service. among these are preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and developing more efficient ways to feed the world. i am especially pleased that i will be serving on the faculty of the university of indianapolis and helping that institution establish a washington internship program. i look forward to announcing additional endeavors of service in the coming weeks. my service in the senate would not have been possible without the encouragement and the constant support of my loving wife, char, our four sons, mark, bob, john, and david, and the entire lugar family, most of which is with us here in the galleries today.

their strength and sacrifices have been indispensible to my public service, and i am also very much indebted to a great number of talented and loyal friends who have served with me in the senate, including, by my count, more than 300 senators, hundreds of personal and committee staff members, and more than 1,000 student interns. in my experience, it is difficult to conceive of a better platform from which to devote oneself to public service and the search for solutions to national and international problems. at its best, the senate is one of the founders' most important creations. a great deal has been written recently about political discord in the united states, with some commentators judging that partisanship is at an all- time high. having seen quite a few periods in the congress when political

struggles were portrayed in this way, i hesitate to describe our current state as the most partisan ever, but i do believe that as an institution, we have not lived up to the expectations of our constituents to make excellence in governance our top priority. many of us have had some type of executive experience as governors, mayors, corporation chiefs, cabinet officials. i had the good fortune of serving two terms as mayor on -- of indianapolis, prior to my senate -- of indianapolis, prior to my senate service, and for the last 36 -- my senate service, and for the last 36 years, i have attempted to apply lessons learned during

those early governing experiences to my work in the senate. as a mayor, my responsibility for what happened in my city was comprehensive and inescapable. citizens held the mayor's office accountable for the prosaic tasks of daily life, like trash collections, fixing potholes in the streets, snow removal, but also for executing strategies for the economic and social advancement of the city. in legislative life, by contrast, we are responsible for positions, expressed through votes, co-sponsorships, interviews, and other means. it takes courage to declare dozens or even hundreds or positions and stand for office, knowing that with each position, you are displeasing some group of voters, but we do our county a disservice if we mistake the act of taking positions for governance. they are not the same thing. governance requires adaptation to shifting circumstances. it often requires finding common ground with americans that have a different vision than your own. it requires leaders who believe

like edmund burke that their first responsibility to their constituents is to apply their best judgment. it is possible to be elected and re-elected again and again and gain prominence in the senate while giving very little thought to governance. east one can even gained considerable notoriety by devoting -- one can even gained -- gain considerable notoriety by raising money, focusing on public relations. responsibility for legislative shortcomings can be pinned on the other party or even on members of one's own party. none of us is above politics, nor did the founders expect us to be, but we should be aspiring to something greater than this.

too often in recent years, members of congress have locked themselves in inflexible positions, many of which have no hope of being implemented in a divided government, and some of these positions have been further calcified by pledges signed for political purposes. too often, we have failed to listen to each other and questioned the views being promulgated by our parties, whether they make strategic sense for our country's future. there was a rasmussen poll conducted this month that found only 10% of likely voters gave congress a rating of excellent or good. for me, the irony is that having seen at several generations of lawmakers pass through the body, -- having seen several generations of lawmakers pass

through the body -- eager to contribute to the welfare of our country. often, the public does not believe that. it is easier to assume that congressional feelings arise due to the incompetence or even malfeasance of individual legislators or, perhaps, washington, d.c., itself is corrupting. it is disconcerting to think that the shortcomings are complex and defy simple solutions, but the founders were realists. parochialism, personal ambition. they understood that good intentions would not always prevail, and, accordingly, they designed able -- a way to prevent power from accumulating in a few hands, but they knew such republic would require a

great deal of cooperation, and they knew it would require most elected officials to have a dedication to governance, and they trusted that leaders would arise in every era to make their plan work. the senate has a role to play in good governance. we have power is not exercised by the executive branch. -- we have powers not exercised by the executive branch. senators can have careers spanning decades, allowing them to apply expertise over decades, even as administrations come and go. we can also confer a bipartisan foreign mark on a policy. even a small bipartisan group of senators is a powerful signal of the possibility for unifying solutions.

my hope is that senators will devote much more of their anjous to governance. in a perfect world, -- more of their energies to governance. this is a very high bar for any legislative branch to clear, but we must aspire to it. we are facing fundamental changes in the world that will deeply affect american security in our standard of living. a list of such changes is long, but its start in asia with the rise of china and india -- but it starts in asia with the rise of china and india. at the center of this pivot is china, which exits as an adversary and a fellow traveler, ensuring mutual goals -- in

sharing mutual goals -- as a fellow traveler, sharing mutual goals. this will impact american relations with the rest of asia and may even help determine prospects for peace or war. in visiting thailand and the philippines in october, i was reminded of the economic vitality of southeast asia and the fact that that tend countries comprise an asean represent now the fourth largest export market of the united states. these countries are center stage. we must stand firm with our friends throughout asia and actively pursue prospects for free trade and open sea lanes and other policies that will strengthen american economic growth. more broadly, we face the

specter of global resource constraints, especially efficiencies of energy and food that could stimulate conflict and deepen poverty. we have made startling gains in domestic energy production, but we remain highly vulnerable still to our dependency on oil, and perhaps equally important, even if we were able to produce more energy at home, we cannot isolate ourselves from energy shocks in the global economy. we have to cooperate with other nations in improving the global system of manufacturing and moving energy supplies. currently, a key to this is helping to assure the completion of a southern energy corridor serving parts of europe and unleashing our own a liquefied natural gas exports to address the energy vulnerability -- our own liquefied natural gas

exports to address the energy vulnerability. productivity of global agriculture will not keep up with projected food demand on less many countries change their policies. -- unless many countries change their policies. agriculture technology, including genetically modified techniques. their risk of climate change intensified this imperative -- the risk of climate change int ensifies this imperative. access to the internet and social media has deeply affected international politics, in most cases to the better, but it has also contributed to bucky balls, like the arabs during -- but it

has also contributed to of people -- to upheavals, like the arab spring. potential catastrophe remains of a terrorist attack on america, an employing -- on america and employing weapons of mass destruction. we could be set back by more than one decade or more. having devoted considerable time to this problem, there are no silver bullets. protecting the americans from weapons of mass destruction is a painstaking process that every day must employ our best technological, diplomatic, and military tools. we must maintain the competitiveness of the united states in the international community. we should see education, energy

efficiency, access to global markets, the attraction of immigrant entrepreneurs, and other factors as national security issues. my own view is that the fundamentals of american society still offer us the best hand to play in global competitiveness. no other country can match the quality of our post secondary education. we have the broadest technological base and the most advanced agricultural system. our population is younger and more mobile than most other intentional lies nation's -- most other industrialized nations. the competitive genius of the american people has allowed us time and time again to reinvent our american economy, but we must deal with failures of governments that have delayed resolutions to obvious problems.

no rational strategy for our long-term growth and security should fail to restrain current entitlement spending, and no attempt to gain the maximum, a strategic advantage from our human resource potential -- gain the maximum, strategic advantage from our human resource potential -- and encourages the most talented immigrants to contribute to america's future. there is a need to elevate our senate debate pitting it is vital that the president and congress established -- there is a need to elevate our senate debate. it is vital that the president and congress established -- establish -- such as war with iran or another catastrophic terrorist attack.

this depends on congressional leaders who are willing to set aside partisan advantage and on administration officials who understand the advantage of having the support of congress. currently, the national security dialogue between the president and congress, in my judgment, is one of the least constructive i have ever witnessed. there is little foundation for resolving national security disputes or even the expectations that can occur. now, before the next 9/11, the president has to be willing to call republicans to the oval office and establish the basis of a working partnership in foreign policy, and republicans have to be able to suspend opposition that serves no purpose but to limit their own role and render cooperation impossible. all should recognize the need for unity in the coming year

when events in iran, syria, no. -- syria, and others will test american security in extreme ways. i commend each of you, my senate colleagues, for the commitment that allow you to stand for election to the united states senate to begin with. running for office is a difficult endeavor, usually accompanied by great personal risk and cost. each one of you is capable of being a positive force for changing the tone of debate in our country. each one of you has the responsibility to protect the integrity and represent your constituents, but also to make informed and imaginative choices on which our country depends. i am optimistic about our country's future. i believe that both internal divisions and external threats can be overcome. the united states will continue

to serve as the inspiration for people seeking peace, freedom, and economic prosperity. and the united states senate should and will be at the forefront of this advancement. may we see each day, got our creator -- each day from god, our creator -- and may god continue to bless the united states of america. >> the gentleman from indiana. >> the service of richard lugar, and to pay tribute to his legacy. i have served beside him during my two tours of service here in the united states senate. all of us want to make a difference.

most certainly, senator lugar has done that. at an early age, he developed a passion for knowledge. a native of indianapolis, he was valedictorian at his high school, a distinguished institution where knowledge is at the forefront. one of our former members, ted stevens, was also a graduate of that high school. dick lugar then went on to become valedictorian at is university, where he graduated with a degree in economics. he went on to attend oxford university as a rhodes scholar and got a master's degree in politics, philosophy, an economics, and today, he is one of the most decorated scholars in the united states senate, with 46 on re-degrees from 15

states and the district of columbia. -- with 46 or honorary degree is -- 46 honorary degrees from 15 states and the district of columbia. i would say the navy chose the best person they could have for that job, and dick lugar became known not only for his hard work but his intellectual prowess. senator lugar, at the young age of 35, became mayor, serving two terms. there is no question that dick lugar is recognized as one of the most influential and visionary mayors that indiana has ever seen, and i would submit that the country has ever

seen. i was working full time and attending indiana law school at night, and that did not leave much time for us to enjoy the amenities of indianapolis, but, frankly, there were very few to enjoy it at that particular time. it was then that our newly- elected mayor began a transformation. it is now one of the most attractive and livable cities in america. he worked with the assembly. he extended the boundaries of the city and provided comments, is essential services more efficiently, -- and provided common, essentials services more

efficiently -- essential services more efficiently. it became a model for the country. moving from the 26 largest city to one of the nation's dozen largest cities. when i think of the changes over the past 40 years, i see the fulfillment of then-mayor dick lugar. men and women of sense and decency. not all of us all in that category. sometimes, that sense is questioned.- is such skill is extremely valuable in the united states senate, a body that by its very

design is supposed to foster compromise by legislators on issues before the nation. and so, it was a national progression that following his success as mayor, dick lugar's its job would be as united states senator. next job would be as united states senator. he is the type of lawmaker and a leader who works hard to bring both parties together, find common ground. his contributions are many, including his service on the agricultural committee. his most important role in the senate has to be his leadership of the senate foreign relations committee. as a two-time chairman of this committee, he has been one of the most influential minds on foreign policy in the united states.

he has worked tirelessly to promote arms control, dismantle nuclear arms, and address the global food crisis, among others. among his many accomplishments, his legislation will now likely be -- when senator lugar joined, he traveled to the soviet union, on multiple occasions, to gain a better understanding of how the united states can dismantle and secure weapons of mass destruction. he champions the landmark legislation -- he championed legislation that makes the world a safer place. it has deactivated more than 7500 nuclear warheads that were once aimed at the united states,

a contribution to which americans can never give enough thanks. over his 36 years in this institution, senators from both side of the aisle have considered him a trusted resource when it comes to foreign policy and many other important issues. he has been a consistent resources for those who seek thoughtful answers. when i first arrived here in 1989, we operated a unique joint-office arrangement, sharing staff. many of our colleagues were surprised by this arrangement. dick lugar and i liked to tell them they were getting twice the work for half the price. his sincere desire to reach across the aisle, to find common

ground, and his unique talent for forging coalitions and bringing people together to accomplish big things -- a tribute to senator lugar would be incomplete without recognizing the support of his wife, charlene, and his sons. public service has demands on our families, and their support and sacrifice plays a role in the success of any senator. it has been an honor for me to work with senator lugar. i am thankful for his service to indiana and our country. we wish you and your family nothing but the best as you begin this next chapter of your life. you have outlined many other ways that you will be continuing. that is a great benefit.

i am certain we will continue to learn and benefit from your lifetime of public service. i know my colleagues join me in thanking him for his many years of dedicated service, and it has been a pleasure to serve as the junior senator from indiana under you. with that, i yield. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] >> senator dick lugar served on the university board of trustees while he was mayor, and they are establishing and the kennedy -- an academy. his replacement is the current indiana representative and democrat, joe donnelly, who defeated the indiana state

treasurer in the 2012 november election, just shy of 50% of the vote. ranking member richard lugar joined john kerry at the 196th anniversary of the foreign relations committee. sponsored by the u.s. capitol historical society this is over one hour. >> ladies and gentlemen, if i could have your attention? we will start our program. i think it is great where we can

have an event where everybody is so interested in visiting with each other, that it is a great success when that happens, and i hate to put a damper on it, but we do want to get going, and i do appreciate your attention, and i am sure that gentleman i will introduce will also appreciate it. i am with the u.s. capitol historical society, and i have the honor tonight of introducing three gentlemen who actually need no introduction, because i know you people are very much aware of the highlights of their career and quite knowledgeable about the senate and the congress, so i am going to dispense with that, and, of course, each one of them had some leadership positions in our nation's foreign policy as members of the foreign relations committee, and we will hear about some tonight. i also did a little research

myself and found that all of them have also written books. in fact, some have written more than one book, so instead of me giving you the usual, canned introduction, i thought i would let their own words in their own writing introduce them. i start with john kerry. he came by his interest in foreign affairs as the son of an american diplomat, as well as his own experiences in vietnam. in his book "a call to service," , kerr -- service," senator kerry talks about being a brat. being overseas, you are exposed to many things, and it teaches

you. he noted that his father was often transferring not only overseas but also back into the united states. he wrote, "1 assignment that he had in washington that had an especially strong effect on me is when he was -- the formulations committing -- the foreign relations committee. i testified on behalf of the vietnam veterans against the war, and when i was elected to the u.s. senate in 1984, i fought with my staff 438 solid day is over or serving on the foreign relations committee -- i fought with my staff for three solid days over serving on the

foreign relations committee. i was determined to get on the foreign relations committee, and i have been there ever since." ladies and gentlemen, john kerry. [applause] >> tomm, thank you very much -- tom, thank you very much. i had totally forgotten that i was that candid. [laughter] i made a very wise decision. everybody was pulling their hair out and saying, "we do not do anything anymore." what a pleasure to be here. it is really a pleasure to be here. i am honored to be here with many of my colleagues,

beginning, of course, with the ranking member, my friend, joe biden's friend, an extraordinarily respected colleague, and dick lugar is here, too, and everybody here just wants to say thank you for everything you stand for. [applause] dick, dick is an absolutely -- a statement. it is said that a politician is a man who understands government. a statesman is a politician who has been dead for 10 years. but the truth is, as we all know, dick lugar has managed to transcend that, and bob from

tennessee, i am delighted he is here -- from georgia, and from my neighboring state of new hampshire -- and earlier, we had a number of other members drop by. i want to thank each of the members that i just named. they are interlocal, thoughtful members -- they are integral, thoughtful members. i am very grateful to them for the diligence they use and their ability to put aside the the sometimes-partisan division, which is what we need to do on that committee. i want to thank the historical society for bringing us together

tonight. we are really a privilege. all of the members -- we are really privileged, all of the members. it is a force for bringing our nation's history alive and for creating all kinds of exhibits, helping young kids to come to this place and understand their own history, and more and more, i think everybody would agree that that is really important because it helps to put the business of the country ahead of politics. i think all of my colleagues would agree with me -- find ways out of this current predicament. the country is as divided as i can remember at any time of public life, from the 1960's and

the 1970's about war, but we are now divided between red and blue, the coasts, the heartland, secular and religious. sometimes i am reminded of william faulkner's words. at times, we feel that way. the full quote was from shakespeare about sound -- about fury. i am not going to go there. i think it is safe to say that we are all long way away except in the great moments where we do

we are a long way -- i think it is safe to say that we are a long way away except in great moments. "we thanked -- thank thee that thy servant, in a time that called for greatness, and grew into greatness -- greatness, grew into greatness," and i am thankful for all of the ambassadors here, because they understand how much the world is changing, how complicated relationships are, and how important it is for all of us in all of our country's --

countries to summon us to something bigger, to greatness. we have been blessed to have a guy like dick lugar, whether he served as chairman or served as ranking member, he has always been a student of public affairs. he tried to find common ground. tributen's letter is a to that. i have seen him worked -- work. it has been a vision.

reaching out and taking some of those kinds of risks. but even with the great satan of the former soviet union, richard lugar was able to reach out and make things happen. i remember as a young senator, just arrived, and actually, a member of my family -- this is not something i have talked about much in the city -- a governor of the philippines back in the early 1900's, so i had a fascination with the new weapons because of family involvement there for some period of time -- i had a fascination with the philippines because of family involvement there for some period of time. this relationship between him

and his people and us and them -- i came back, and the first thing i did with the foreign relations committee is to put in a resolution to link or aid, and marcos responded by calling an election and saying, " i am going to -- "i am going to prove to the united states who is in charge here." the national movement for free philippines. a cathedral i attended, an extraordinary mass. that was a place where we saw these 13 women come out,

midnight, and the only lights were the television cameras, and each told of the numbers they were putting in -- the numbers they were putting in were not the numbers coming out on the board, in the election was being stolen, -- and the election was being stolen, and dick said we have to call this the way we see it. we rushed back, met with president reagan, and dick lugar and others changed history with that even. it is remarkable. that is what the foreign relations committee membership can do. chuck is another guy who understands that. he continues to do it. i respect so much his willingness to speak out directly, his constancy, when he

was here, in being able to take on his own party at times, but just speaking, to use the horrible cliche, of truth to power. we took a trip to afghanistan, and we were in one province, and during the flight back, we got involved in some snowstorm in the helicopters. man, i will never forget this chopper pilot, suddenly in a panic diving, and we went down in an emergency landing on the top of this mountain, in mass es of snow, and the whole time, the general was briefing us, and he never stopped briefing us. [laughter]

we were in crash mode, and we choked -- joked that we should give a speech, and we would be airborne again with hot air. we, first of all, thought we would assign one of us to give a speech and talk them down, and then we decided that is not going to work, so we set up a snowball squadron, and finally, we were rescued by a bunch of humvees, and we had to drive down the mountain in this long escort, so there are these wonderful memories that come with these journeys, sitting on a plane late at night and talking about the problems of the world, and i would just say to you quickly, i do not want to abuse my privilege year, --

here, it is a great privilege for me being able to serve for some period of time, and it is up to the american people what happens, so i always viewed this with a certain contemporary nest -- a certain temporary- ness. i did cut my teeth testifying. and it was a very different time in the senate, where you can find relationships on the other side, building them, make things happen. i want that senate to come back. it is certainly what the founding fathers intended, but we are facing now a world that

is obviously profoundly changing, and nobody can put that genie back in the bottle. nobody can. there is only one way to respond to this world, and it is try to tame the worst courses of globalization, and i believe that can be done. the foreign relations committee is probably one of the world's greatest -- to do that. it is an extraordinary bully pulpit. we will have a hearing on human trafficking. pandemic around the planet. there are many other things that we're obviously working on. we will soon be talking about people with disabilities and rights, and needless to say, the new historic treaty, the chemical weapons convention.

so much has happened through this committee, and it was mentioned in the beginning what happened with respect to the early times of the committee. the alaska purchase in 1867. the accomplishment of the united nations. the passage of the truman doctrine, and, of course, not least, the rebuilding of europe and japan after a war where the united states, against the will of the american people -- they were not in support of the marshall plan, but, today, no one could argue that it was not essential to the ultimate transformation of the former soviet union into the freedom of people in eastern europe and to a remarkable sense of possibilities for people who had

lived under the yoke of totalitarianism 40 along. those things, out of this committee. those are the possibilities -- those things come out of this committee. those are possible. i worked for teddy kennedy. many of us were greatly changed by the assassination of president kennedy and then robert kennedy, and i will never forget the words, "i dream things that never were and asked -- ask why not," and the evening is special not only because it brings us together to

celebrate the foreign relations committee and its past accomplishments, but a reminder of the debt that we owe to those who preceded us on this committee and set an example of what it could achieve and what we can be, so i think we can learn by the way they conducted business. i also think we all need to remember, you know, what is happening in the middle east is the most significant change since the end of the ottoman empire, certainly, and it is up for grabs. today, i talked with secretary sherman, and secretary clinton is in hanoi, and we need to do things to help egypt move forward. as difficult as that may be in

terms of politics. one-quarter of the world's arab ts -- the world's population has challenges. the possibility of peace in the middle east as well as what our national security picture is going to look like for some time to come, so we have to have the vision to understand that we are connected. we also need to understand that our economy is not something over here, separate from all of our aspirations. to do the things we want to do, to be indispensable nation that people view us as being, it is imperative for us to make better choices about our economy, -- to

be the indispensable nation that people view us as being. that is what foreign policy is, a balance. sometimes your interests are bigger than your values, and sometimes your values are bigger. i am convinced of this. we are an exceptional nations. we talk about american exceptionalism to the point where it grates on other countries and probably should, but there is something exceptional, i would say to you, but it is not a birthright. it is not on automatic pilot. we have only been an exceptional when we make the choices that make us exceptional, and we need to remember that it is not a slogan or a sound bite. it is when we increase our

values and interests in the best way that advance the cause of our nation and also advance the cause of our fellow human beings on this planet. that is the way the foreign relations committee should define itself in my judgment. thank you for ordering it. -- honoring it. [applause] >> senator kerry, thank you for your current, past, and future leadership on the foreign relations committee, and let's hope we can go back to some of the old ways of working together, both sides of the aisle. i know as a house member, there is a lot of challenges in that body. richard lugar is a true

gentleman . he is a universally respected voice for the development and implementation of a bipartisan foreign policy. as a gracious in defeat as he has always been in victory, he is one of the giants -- as gracious in defeat as he always has been in victory, he is one of the giants. probably his lasting legacy will be the reduction of nuclear war and nuclear weapons in the world. dick's passion for seeking long- term solutions to complex foreign policy problems instead of opting for the slogans and short-term political and manages is best summed up in his books -- book.

dick, i do not know if you ever get any of the money, but i read your book on a kindle, so that money should someday find its way to you. here is what he wrote in 2004. >> too often, the motivation for important national security positions of both parties is driven by politics. they are disconnected from any credible analysis. a consensus foreign policy cannot be wished back into being, nor can it be manufactured overnight in response to an immediate crisis. it can only be restored gradually over time with the development of mutual trust between congress and the executive branch." dick lugar, we will miss you.

we feel we have a loss, and thank you. [applause] >> chairman tom, i am so indebted to you for your thoughtfulness and your friendship. ronald sarasin, we are honored, and there are the attributes of my good friend john kerry. we had a wonderful time on the committee, and john cited the philippines as an adventure, but

there were so many. i just appreciate all of our colleagues on the committee being here tonight and the distinguished ambassadors, and we are grateful to each one of you for honoring the committee and honoring the historical society on its anniversary. i want to think again the capitol historical society for offering -- i want to thank again the historical society. with the comprehensive research efforts of very diligent staff members, i hope you will forgive the indulgences of their findings. i want to make some comments.

by my count in the history of the senate, only five members have served 30 years or more on the committee. all five began their service in the second half of the 20th century. this is partially attributable to increasing life expectancy in to the fact that many members of the committee during the 19th century and early 20th century did not begin their foreign service service until 6, 8, or even 10 years in. john kerry had the foresight to join immediately. it has been far more common in recent decades for freshmen to be granted a seat on the foreign relations committee than before. chris dodd and another gain a seat -- gained a seat on the

committee and held it. another served 32 years, having gained a seat in his fourth year as a senator. at the end of this year, i will have served 34 years on the committee, joining vice- president biden, who reached that tenure before he was elected to his current position. both of us gained a seat on the committee after two years in the senate. vice-president biden also holds the distinction of being the third foreign relations committee chairman to become vice president of the united states. it is an understatement to say that he is having much more success in his role than his two predecessors. the first chairman to become vice president had tuberculosis when he was elected and died

only 25 days into his vice presidential tenure. he holds the record of the fewest days served of an elected a u.s. executive office. even president harrison, who became sick after exposing himself to a rainstorm on his inauguration day, managed to last a full month in office. the other chair of the foreign relations committee who was vice president was lincoln's first vice president. he spent much of his vice presidency in his home state of maine, a difficult platform from which to influence policy in washington, d.c., and he was much more fortunate than william king in that he survived his term, -- like senator kerry, my

first contact with the committee was even before i became a senator. i was awarded a rhodes scholarship. i arrived at oxford, and i was told of tutorial work. in my first year of residence at the college, emboldened by stories, i decided to write to a senator who was a member of the senate foreign relations committee but not yet its chairman. he was in the midst of an in battled relationship with senator joseph mccarthy of wisconsin region -- he was in the midst of an in battle -- embattled relationship with

senator joseph mccarthy of wisconsin. i senator fulbright and i shared common experiences. senator fulbright and i won scholarships and chose to study at pembroke college. both of us focused much attention on it government and economics at oxford. both of us were blessed with the same tudor. -- tutor. both of us were elected from states in the interior of the u.s. that were not associated with international interests. both of us sought a weat on the foreign relations committee and ascended to the chairmanship. senator fulbright holds the record as the longest serving chairman of the foreign relations committee, a tenure in

stretching from 1959 to 1974. my tenure as chairman was only six years, but i hold the record of the most time elapsed between my first and second chairmanships, 16 years. i did not have the pleasure of serving with senator fulbright and the senate. he left office two years before i was elected. but his influence on my career was profound and permanent. he was especially generous to me when i became chairman of the committee in 1985 for the first time. what senator fulbright understood is the main function of the foreign relations committee is oversight of the administration's policy. the committee is responsible for substantial areas of legislation, including the state department budget, for

assistance, and treaties. in most years, its biggest impact comes from its role as partner and counterweight to the administration's actions on a global scale. the role of the committee is to constantly question the president's foreign policy activities. reinforcing some and we directing or opposing others. to some degree, every committee exercise oversight. in my experience, no committee has such a broad expanse of activities to monitor. this is reflected in the fact that in many years, we hold more hearings than any other senate committee. we also send more nominees to the senate than any other committee, with the possible exception of the judiciary committee. confirmation hearings on hundreds of nominees are served

to vet the nominees and review our policy towards individual countries were represented, partly because of this fast oversight role, chairman and ranking member, i have attempted to encourage members with a few years of experience to stay on the committee, to build continuity and expertise. i believe the senate of the united states foreign policy in general benefits of having experienced members who are willing to commit to a long-term service on the foreign relations committee through many presidential administrations. but retaining members has become an increasing challenge in recent years. on the republican side, our conference on rule prohibiting simultaneous service on any two of the super 8 committees,

appropriations, finance, foreign relations, has led to many short tenures. conference rules on the other side of the aisle are more lenient. the democrats are also seeing turnover. beyond conference dynamics, most members of the committee must deal with the reality that f ew political benefits come from devoting oneself to the foreign relations committee. on the plus side, our members are invited to appear on sunday morning talk shows more often than most. and service on the committee is someone said -- sometimes seen as a useful credential when seeking higher office but the foreign relations committee and has a difficult platform from which to appeal for campaign funds. and there is a very little public spending that flows to this committee to constituents.

absent a series global crisis, foreign policy tops the list of concerns -- rarely tops the list of concerns of voters. the committee depends heavily on members who want to devote a substantial portion of their service to foreign policy and national security regardless of other roles they play in the senate. and my hope is that many more good senators will continue to come forward to embrace this role. i thank each one of you tonight for your contributions to the committee, for recognizing its importance and its members, for recognizing the historical importance of the committee to the senate into our country. may god continue to bless the united states senate, its foreign relations committee, and especially may god bless america, the country we love to

serve hot. thank you very much. [applause] >> during his 12 years in the senate, chuck hagel served as a member of the foreign relations committee. today, as chairman of the elected council and co-chair of the president's intelligence advisory board as well as a member of the secretary of defense's policy board, the senator continues to play a leading role in the development

of america's foreign policy. 2008, chuck wrote a book he titled "america, our next chapter." he was kind enough to give me a signed copy. i read it for this occasion, hoping to find a passage that would serve as his introduction. i want up identifying 13. don't worry. i reduced it down to two. the first passage happens in the first paragraph of his book. "of all, i think of myself as an american. if you had asked my dad, he would have said the same thing. that is how we thought in nebraska, in ainsworth. there were 100 other towns in the western part of the state, a couple of churches, a hardware store, a movie theater that always had a double feature, two gas stations, and an american legion post. it was the kind of town where if

you roll down your car windows and turned the radio out loud, you could hear buddy holly singing peggy sue from one end of main street to the other. now we know of his favorite song was. just down the road, my great grandfather and great grandmother lived in an apartment above the bakery across the street from the drugstore. they shared their small apartment with two grown sons, wounded vets of world war ii, who got by on disability pension. eventually, huck and tom would leave that nebraska town and find themselves in the jungles of vietnam, serving side by side, there were both severely wounded by the viet cong in a land mine explosion. able to survive through the night. of that experience, he wrote,

from that day on, i was a changed person. i remember a strong resolve coming over me as i were chopper climbed over the canopy of the jungle and i watched the steam rise above that in the morning light. i made myself a promise that if i ever got out of this place, was ever in a position to do something about it, i would make sure that war so horrible, so and riddled with suffering, i would do whatever i could to stop it. i've never forgotten that promise. i made it to myself but also to everyone who answers the call to serve their country. i think of it every day, because once you set a war in motion, its consequences are the ones least intended and they are always on controllable." chuck haglel. [applause] >> tom, thank you.

i am grateful for the opportunity to be here for many reasons. to my not old but longtime friend, ron serenson, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, we got acquainted on the fifth floor of the cannon building. this is too high class a g roup. was rightn's office next to the closet. and he performed admirably. his wardrobe consisted, no unlike congressman coleman's, of the wide lapel jacket, much like a horse blanket. they have two -- to havae two

gillman of the caliber and the kind of public servants they work -- two of that caliber to lead the u.s. historical society, congratulations on the anniversary and what you are doing with this institution. i do not know of anything more important than to preserve history, to apply that history to our future generations. mr. scruggs is here. here is a man who has made some contribution to that effort. the memorial he was responsible for leading, it would not have been built without him. [applause] it was testimony, yes, to those who served and those who made

the ultimate sacrifice, but memorials are built for the future. memorials are billed for the next generation and the next generation. they are billed to remind us and to recognize the great virtues nobleness ofthe man. of course, it's a high privilege to be here with two for relations chairmen. between them, i believe 62 years of service on the foreign relations committee, and you add to that vice-president biden's service, the three of them represent about 100 years of service. that is a rather significant amount of time and a significant contribution to this country. for all the reasons you have heard tonight from these two

gentleman to my former colleagues, some were here tonight, to new members of the foreign relations committee that i did not have the privilege of serving with, thank you for what you continue to do for our country. one of i think the most important parts of this job, one of the great privileges of this job is to recognize a first of all, we are. we are not republicans. we're not democrats. we are americans. i was often asked, but senator, you oppose your party or you challenge for president. i would as cheerfully as i knew how respond, i am the united states senator. i am a united states senator representing nebraska.

i have a philosophy about government which happens to fit the republican party, at least my interpretation. but i am not a republican senator. i am a united states senator who happens to be republican. and i think the foreign relations committee and it's been eloquently noted here tonight by two of the very best preserved in this business, have clearly articulated that. there was no one in this room that does not understand what they said or has not witnessed this. the colleagues on the committee here tonight and the staff see it up close every day. i also want to recognize char lugar for her service. for what youyou, have meant and the contributions to have made to not only dick

but the senate. [applause] supporters. this society, no institution can exist without the financial support and the resignation -- recognition of the worthiness of the institution. so all of you who have faithfully contributed continue to contribute, continue to write or checks. is that correct? that's a big part of this. thank you. my remarks are going to build on what our two chairmen have talked about and that is the framing of the foreign relations committee. like john kerry and dick lugar

and joe biden, as the vice- president noted in his letter, like every senator here, when you get here, you have to make some choices. if you are freshmen, you have limited choices, but you make choices about committee assignments. in the senate, you have more of a menu, more of an agenda, a variety. and i recall the day after i was elected to the senate, november, 1996, the world herald sat down with me and we did an interview. the first question i was asked was, is there any member of the senate that you would like to emulate? is there any member of the senate you would like to model your career after? i responded by saying, not

being yet a wise senator but hopefully all wise senator, all the senators. all had made great contributions, all have something to say and it is important for our country. i said, yes there is one senator who are very much would like to model my service after and that is dick lugar from indiana. that appeared on the front page of the evening edition. my noting it was dick lugar who i had most of my. second question was what committee assignments do you think you would like to see? without hesitation i said, foreign relations committee. i do not think that was surprising to the reporter who was doing the interview was the political reporter who had been

around for four years in nebraska -- for 40 years in nebraska, because he had noted, in august of that year, i gave a major, not of the quality of kerry-lugar-biden, a meager effort, a major foreign relations speech at the university of nebraska in august, when everybody was gone. and the reporters were a bit surprised probably by the vacuousness of the content, but they were generous and gave me some considerable notation, but the question they posed to me was, why would you give a foreign relations speech in nebraska? we have never followed a senate candidate who no one knows, who has not held public office, and

he would give a major foreign policy address. well, when that same reporter asked me the question, what committees are you going to try to get seats on i said immediately, foreign relations. he said why? and of course, not unlike what john kerry and dick lugar had noted and everyone in this room knows it, especially the members on the committee today, you cannot raise money on that. in this kind of a dead end committee. what does it do? nobody cares. i said, you are wrong. the foreign relations committee, of all the committees in the senate frames america's interests more than any committee. when you think about it it does. it is not just the things that john and dick talked about, the oversight and all the things that dick talked about in his

item as asian and his agenda that the foreign relations committee does. but it is the 19 additional responsibilities that most people do not have any idea that come under the jurisdiction of the committee. i will give you an example of that. many of you in this room will remember -- i know my most learned colleagues will -- 1997-1998, there was an asian currency crisis that began with the russian ruble, then the baht, and it affected markets. i was also on the banking committee. bob corker and i served on that committee together. and i remember the chairman at the time saying, the banking committee will take control of that. jesse helms as chairman.

and jesse and his staff, and some staff members might recall this, said the banking committee does not have jurisdiction. the foreign relations committee has jurisdiction. i happened to be a very jr. chairman of the subcommittee that was the international policy -- international policy committee. i got that subcommittee because no one else wanted it. that was fine with me. i was a chairman of something. i knew it was important but nothing really has happened. when this happened, i became very popular with bob rubin, the treasury secretary, and president clinton. the fact was, that demotto and phil graham were outraged and said, you are wrong. and jesse said, no, read the

jurisdiction. sure enough, he was right. i use that as but one example. when i say framing america's interests, again, this has been noted tonight as john kerry talked about -- economics, trade, relationships, stability, security, diplomacy, everything, everything revolves around the foreign relations committee and most of it recites inside the foreign relations committee. -- resides inside the committee. as noted here, too, the up and down of committee, not unlike markets, not unlike nations, which are clearly recounted in history, you work through those waves of different committees at different times. but when john kerry talk tonight about arthur vandenberg's

comment, and everybody on the committee knows it. let me take that a little further. that comment was made by a republican senator who had been a bit of an isolationist going into world war ii. in 1946, most of you know, truman was the president. and he was facing a republican congress, senate. and arthur vandenberg became chairman of the senate foreign relations committee in 1947. that is when he said that. the significance of that statement at that time, because events are always captive to timing and to atmospherics, and to the environment, because those are the pressures that dictate and dominate all is --

leadership, consequences, votes. he said that because he recognized that that was the beginning of the cold war, after world war ii. if america was to succeed and lead what there was of the free world onto higher ground, which later as we all know through history produced the marshall plan and other such events which help stabilize a very unstable and unsure world, especially europe. there was no guarantee that york was going to turn out in any -- that europe was going to turn out the way it did turn out. but the responsible thing to do was to say what he said and work with the administration and that committee led by the republican, which you might also

note, i know the members on the foreign relations committee -- it was arthur vandenberg who authored the nato resolution, which set up nato. now, i offer those two examples as further testimony of what we have been talking about tonight, what's dick and john talked about. i want to take this a little further, because i think you've got to point about foreign relations. everything that john kerry said and dick lugar about our current political environment is right. and i would suspect that no one in this room with question that america is not very happy. our congress is not happy. we're off-balance. in churchill's words, the gong

of 9/11 has knocked us off balance. we have not gotten back since. we can go back to 1989 when the soviet union imploded. what that did was set in motion a dynamic of global proportions that no one has ever had to deal with before and we are still working our way through it. nato . why do we need nato? our senior members recall vividly the deport. -- the debate. we put that aside and never answered that question. in its place, we put nato enlargement. i happen to support and i think john kerry and dick lugar were strong supporters, but the other change of that was nato

enlargement, which again was house in the foreign relations committee, and all the hearings were in the foreign relations committee and the decisions made in the foreign relations committee were brought out on the floor and in the house as well -- it was not so much now about what nato was 50 years before. collective security. this was as much about and maybe more about economic security for those eastern european nations that were untethered. what do we do now? that nato membership meant a tremendous validation to the new democracies because, yes, it gave them the imprimatur of nato. but far more important than that, as every business person knows, it gave investors and companies some reliability in

theirinvestment in one of those countries. so this was now a different dynamic that had been introduced into the world and nato specifically that we have ever seen before. it was clearly a verify economic dynamic. i use that as just one example. that was contained in foreign relations. the 12 years that i served in the senate, greatest 12 years of my life, no privilege like it, i often have thought about those 12 years, having nothing to me. i was a fleeting steward. but you think about what john kerry talked about, what has happened in the world. what is the problem? ourselveswe bring

together to find a new crowding, a purpose? we do not have a common enemy. we have a war on terrorism. what is terrorism? terrorism is a tactic. is not a philosophy. it is not a form of government. it is a tactic that has been around since man got off all fours. but there is no common purpose of anything and the greatest a fusion of economic power in the history of man has confused everybody i. these are some of the factors that are playing out. the committees in the congress -- now i want to go a little wider and my concluding remarks -- committees are damned important. they are so very important. i recognize that when i first got to the senate. everyone of my colleagues recognizes it. i did not appreciate it as much as i did at the end of 12 years, or as i do today.

because what resides in that effort and process -- and process is important w. we get kicked around in washington about process. what does process do? it does not do anything. it prolongs the problem. imperfect, yes. but here is what process does. why it is critically important for society. it absorbs shocks. if you do not have a process, you cannot absorption. when something happens, and it always does, look at our world last few years -- shock, shock, shock. we have had institutions that have been able to absorb the shock. the greatest challenges are ahead of us. they have to be done to the committee work, because the committee work is the only forum, the only process that allows intelligence and intelligence and understanding, knowledge, discourse about

identifying the problem, short- term, long-term, and how do we fix it. that takes consensus. rarely did i ever see, unless it was a mother's day resolution, what i voted for, come on the senate floor that was a controversial issue if it had not gone through a committee first. sand down the rough edges and try to work to the compromises of the democrat-republican amendments and come to a consensus when you voted out of the committee. there is no other way it can work. these issues are too big, too complex. after rely on the committee system, the committee structure. is more so today than ever before and will continue to be that way. so the emphasis on committees i do not think it can be overstated. the other part of that is, again something john mentioned, the

interconnectedness of committees. not jurisdiction of committee oversight but how is indirect -- interconnected. there is not one part of our security, the future of 7 billion people that has not connected to everything else. energy, environment, security, economy, trade, education, jobs, religion. you name any element that drives society, has always dictated the outcome of civilizations, it is now all woven into one fiber. you are not going to fix that on the floor of the senate or the floor of the house, or my distinguished friends who are here from other countries that serve as ambassadors, as good as their parliaments are, you will not fix it in their parliament on the floor.

it has got to be done through a process and the system. that is why these systems, these committees are so important. i'll end my comments this way. i do not know of anyone who has lived and recognize and worked on these issues as well and as honestly as dick lugar over has over the years. i know he has been noted tonight for that effort. you will be serious thing this. everyone recognizes that. -- you will be seriously missed. but i will say that, with the members of the senate to or coming behind you, dick. and john, i know you are not ready to leave yet. but who are coming behind you, the greatest advantage you have given, dick, and to you,

john, your younger colleagues is the role modeling i began comments on tonight. because every one of these colleagues sitting here tonight watched the two of you, how you have done. i would add to biden. joe biden. that is the greatest legacy will leave. all the pieces of legislation with your names on it, leadership conference's, bills named after you, that is not real. first of all, it is not your money. is the taxpayers' money what you do leave is to leave that legacy of leadership in how you did it and you did it the right way. i have great confidence in this country because, as imperfect as our process is, as imperfect as our public servants are, and we all are, we all learn, i don't know of a group of men and women

who are more committed to make a better world than those who offer themselves for public office. and if we are just wise enough to understand that and build a consensus around that, we will have differences, we should have differences, but it has to start in committees. strength of those committees is not just the academic part but get to know each other. john kerry talked about dick and others when we traveled together, we sat in planes together. i sat in an suv with joe biden for eight hours going to the turkish border into kurdistan. sitting next to joe biden for eight hours, i learned a lot. i finally had to give up and say, i cannot do it anymore. i had my mother on the phone with him, i had everybody. but you get to know the

humanity. and that is what we are missing more than anything else, the humanity of the service of this noble, a noble cause. committees do that better than anybody, in any way. in committees are important probably as much for that reason as anything else. thank you, all, very much. [applause] >> chuck, thank you very much, and ladies and tenement, thank you as well. senator, for your thoughtful remarks. i want to present you with this book of architecture and decoration of the capitol. [applause] i have senator kerry.

actually, you can find a way around. chuck hagel and i go back to, as he mentioned to the fifth floor of the canon building. when i was elected, i cannot get an office because i had to wait for chuck hagel and his boss to leave 511 canon. 511 canon is in that attic of the building. it is a piece of real a state that nobody wants. only one elevator goes there, two elevators no one can find you there so it was very peaceful on the fifth floor. that is where i met chuck. we have been friends for four years. senator kerry and lugar, we have momentos for you. these prints for you of washington city. we're happy to give to you to

chairman john kerry. [applause] i want to thank everyone for being here today. i have to give you some instructions on how to leave this room, because after 8:00, the main door is locked. so you may not be able to get home tonight. first, i want you to look around. this is the room the titanic hearings were held in, the watergate hearings, the mccarthy hearings. this is a very, very historic room in the complex of the united states capitol. we are very grateful for the opportunity to be here. i want to thank the donors who did so much to make this evening possible. walmart, caterpillar, express

scripts, exxon mobile. now the instructions on how to get out of here. guests should exit down the right quarter from the rotunda. take another right at the end of the corridor, take the elevator to the basement. the guard will direct to from there. what you are trying to do is get out of the dirksen building at . you cannot get out of this building. the doors are locked. you have to go out of the exit door in dirksen. thank you, all, for coming. this has been a wonderful evening. great comments. thank you very, very much. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012]

>> ladies and gentlemen, please take the centerpieces home with you. >> coming up on c-span, california rep and democrat lynn woolsey delivers her farewell address from the house floor. followed by a tribute by other members of congress to outgoing california representatives. mr. speaker, throughout my career in public

life and even before nothing has motivated me more than a desire to end wars and violent conflict. when i was a small girl, saying bedtime ayers or making a birthday wish blowing out the candles, i always asked for world peace. so no surprise that over a decade ago i opposed the iraq war before it even started. it was appalling that we would invade a nation that hadn't provoked us, had nothing to do with 9/11, and did not have weapons of mass destruction. it was a lonely fight at that time. but i didn't do it to be loved. it was a matter of principle. barbara lee, maxinwaters, and i formed the triad, woolsey-waters-lee to organize our opposition. we held forums. we developed and out of iraq

caucus. we traveled around the country. and in january, 2005, i offered the first amendment here on the house floor calling for our troops to be brought home. some of my own party thought that it was a mistake. that we wouldn't get any votes or enough votes and that we would be embarrassed. well, i told them that even if i were the only oneoting to bring our troops home, i would not be embarrassed. as it happened we got 128 bipartisan votes. that very first time. so you see, mr. speakerwhen you lead, people follow. because of a handful of progressive leaders and progressives in our country that were vocal and fearless, eventually public opinion turned. it turned against the iraq war, it turned towards peace.

if we and other outspoken advocates hadn't ignored conventional wisdom and had pressed for peace and hadn't -- hadn't pressed for peace, the war in iraq could still be going on today. in april mr. speaker, of004, i started speaking from this very spot on the house floor about my strong anti-iraq war conviction. eventually these speeches focused on afghanistan where we have now been waging war for more than 11 years, despite more than 2,000 americans dead and nearly $600 billion wasted. even though we are undermining our own interests and failing to bring security and stability to afghanistan. over the last eight-plus years, i have spoken here, nearly every day that i could. to drive home what a moral disaster and strategic failure these wars have been.

when constituents and others call or come up to me or write and thank me, i say, but we are still there. i don't deserve thanks until all of our troops are home. you know, mr. speaker, because you have been here for many of them, my speeches haven't just been about bringing our troops home, they have offered a new vision for global engagement. from here i have outlined my smart security platforwhich calls for development and diplomacy stead of invasions and occupations. civilian surges instead of military surges. smart security means helping other nations educate their children, care for their sick, and strengthen their democratic institution. smart security says we can make america safe by building international good will, by

empowering people with humanitarian assistance instead of sending troops or launching drone attacks. it's the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do, and it costs pennies on the dollar compared to military force. so, mr. speaker, today i'm delivering that message for the 444th time and my final time on the house floor to speak on a five minute special order. this is the last of my special order speeches on war and pea and smart security. i'm retiring from congress at the end of this year and i believe part of my legacy will be that i worked diligently for peace and a safer world. so in closing, mr. speaker, i'd like to acknowledge that sometimes i have been accused of wanting a perfect world, but i consider that a compliment. our founders strove for a more

perfect union, why shouldn't we aim for a perfect world? you see, i'm perfectly and absolutely certain that if we don't work toward a perfect world, we won't ever come close to providing a safe, healthy, and secure world for our grandchildren and their grandchildren. so i thank you, mr. speaker. and i thank my wonderful staff who had helped me over the last 20 years to work for a perfect world which means peace, health, >> replacing lynn woolsey in the 113th congress will be jared huffman. he defeated daniel roberts with 70% of the vote. he will represent the second district in california after serving for six years in the state assembly.

consume. mr. speaker, i rise today with my colleagues to pay special tribute to several members of the california democratic delegation. it whose service in congress is shortly coming to an end. these six members served this house and their constituents with dedication and deserve our gratitude for the hard work they have done on behalf of california and our country. representative joe baca who was elected in 2002, served for 10 years from the 43rd congressional district. representative howard berman elected in 1982 and served 30 years from the 28th district. representative bob filner sworn in this month as mayor of san diego and served for 20 years. representative laura richardson served for five years from the 37th district. representative pete stark, outgoing dean of our delegation was elected in 1972 and served more than 40 wreers from the

13th district. representative lynn woolsey served for 20 years from the 6th congressional district. much kk said about the distinguished careers of our departing colleagues, but i would like to offer a few remarks of the work i have joined them during their time here in the congress. representative howard berman has served the house for 30 years and i was honored to name him among my closest friends in this body. during his service, he worked on a wide of variety of issues and known as a champion of human rights and standing up for middle class, working class and for the poor in our country. as chair of the foreign affairs committee from 2007 to 2008, mr. berman made great progress on behalf of the less fortunate. he was a leader in securing reauthorization of our global hiv-aids program to help provide access to preventive services for millions and authored legislation removing nelson

mandela and other members of the african congress on the terrorism list. finally he was a leader in raising concerns about human rights abuses around the world and key leader in bringing additional disclosure to the trade and conflict minerals that were financed the ongoing violence in the congo. he is a strong friend of israel and passionate about the need to achieve lasting peace and a broader coalition in the house of representatives. . i want to recognize mr. berman's work on behalf of immigration and those who emigrated to this country and his work on behalf of migrant workers and farm workers all across the united states. and for that effort he received the first annual farm worker justice award by the farm worker justice fund in 2000. like mr. berman, our dean,

congressman pete stark, has spent his entire distinguished career in congress advocating on behalf of those voices who were often drowned out in washington by the influence of the moneyed interest. over the last 40 years, congressman stark has been one of the foremost advocates on behalf on efforts to ensure that americans were able to access quality, affordable health insurance. i am honored to have been one of the three principaled co- authors in the house of the historic affordable care act which will provide quality insurance for every single american. the key role mr. stark in drafting that law and made sure that the law provided needed relief for working families. this was a crucial accomplishment, yet it was far from mr. stark's only accomplishment in the field of health care. as a former chair and ranking democrat on the ways and means health subcommittee for many years, he was a leader on the health care reform. he was a lead author of the original cobra insurance bill which ensured that workers faced with losing their jobs would not also immediately lose

access to the needed health insurance. and those of us who have gone through this recent downturn and recession in this country know from the testimony of our constituents how vital the access to cobra health insurance was to the health security for their families, to the financial security for their families. he also pie neared the efforts to make modern i.t. systems available and required within the health care systems of this country that will help us improve the outcomes of health care and hopefully drive down the cost of health care and provide better care for patients within this system. he i think along with sam gibbons of florida pie neared the idea that there should be medicare for all. and beat on -- pioneered the idea that there should be medicare for all and beat on that drum for a long time. it led to the improvements and passage of the affordable care act. he's also been obviously a

campaigner on behalf of fairness in our tax code. and it's unfortunate that he's retiri from the congress because maybe we'll finally after since 1986 that we've addressed this issue, there might be a chance to get something done in the next congress. but he paved the way on so many of those issues. finally in my remarks at this moment, i'd like to highlight the work of an outstanding democrat on the subcommittee on work force protection of the education and labor committee and that is congresswoman lynn woolsey. congresswoman woolsey knows their struggles. four decades ago she was a single working mother supporting three children. she knows about the economic security of families. later as a resource manager she knew things like working families are still fighting for like paid leave, paid sick leave, retirement and health

care. serving as chair and ranking member of the work force protection subcommittee, lynn woolsey was instrumental in helping to get the lilly ledbetter fair pay act signed into law and military families dealing with military deployment and injury. lynn woolsey was a partner to ensure coal miners are kept safe and healthy on the job. she went underground in a coal mine with our late colleague donald payne to require firsthand knowledge of how the workplace works and the environment in which those miners go to work every day. in the classroom, lynn woolsey continues to fight for women and working families. she was -- i want to say harsh, but i will say tough advocate. making sure that women were represented in the stem fields and the careers and women and young women had access to the sciences and to technology and to math and engineering. lynn woolsey worked to ensure kids had access at every education -- every education

opportunity and a well-rounded curriculum to meet their social and emotional needs. american families have benefited from lynn woolsey's fierced a vow casey. harsh, spirited. that's our advocate, lynn. i will miss here contributions on the education committee for the years to come. she's fought tirelessly to protect the environment. most especially in the sonoma coast of san francisco bay and hopefully the president will follow her lead and designate further protections of our ocean and marine habitat in that area of our precious coast. i am very grateful for the members for the work they have done for america's middle class and the struggles -- those who struggle to join our middle class. the work they have done on behalf of their constituents and on behalf of the citizens of this country. they all came here to achieve accomplishments, to achieve success on behalf of their constituents, on behalf of this country, and they've succeeded. and i want to thank them so very much for their service,

for their sacrifice, for the ingenuity, their innovation and i would say with these three for their spirited, tough, harsh, relentless pursuit of what they believed in terms of public policy and on my own behalf, i want to thank -- on behalf of our delegation and tens of millions of constituents that we represent in california, i want to thank representative baca, berman, filner, richardson, stark, woolsey for their service and their dedication. now i'd like to recognize other members of our delegation for the purposes of remarks. and i'd ask unanimous consent that i can revise and extend my remarks. mr. honda. i'll say to the members i think we have five or six or seven people. so however you use your time, be mindful of other members seeking to speak. thank you. mr. honda. mr. honda: thank you, mr.

chairman. mr. speaker, it's with heavy heart but with great that i rise today and thank my departing california colleagues whose service will end at the end of 112th congress. pete stark is well-known for speaking his mind and standing up for what he believes in while giving a voice to the concerns of many who often feel as though they have none. he has helped millions of americans keep their health insurance coverage after leaving their jobs. ensure people who visit emergency rooms receive help regardless of their ability to pay and help in the affordable care act. he enacted legislation to increase the number of computers in our schools. he's been a champion on broad environmental issues like battling ozone depletion, carbon emissions and has been a proponent of peace. i am honored to gain work in fremont and hope his legacy.

and his son, fish, who wrote and was published as an on ed piece independent -- op-ed piece indicating the true side, the real side of pete stark, his father. howard berman is widely known as a leader on foreign affairs, who will stand out in my mind, however, is his help while chairman of the committee on foreign affairs in moving through the committee in the house -- in house resolution 121. it was a resolution calling upon japan to apologize during the imperial army during world war ii, women forced into sexual slavery. he achieved justice for those who suffered atrocities in the past and his leadership will be missed. i also want to thank him for his leadership on the issue of pat tillman, soldier who was -- he lost his life in a firefight when in fact he was killed

through -- and i want to appreciate that. lynn woolsey came to congress with a compelling story about how with the helping hand from her government she was able to raise three children by herself and have a successful career serving the people of marina and sonoma counties. she's been a tireless voice for family-friendly policies, for protecting the coastline of northern california and for bringing our troops home and ending the misguided wars in iraq and afghanistan. lynn was a leader of the congressional progressive caucus and i call her the mom of the caucus. and her passionate voice on progressive issues, she will be missed. her leadership will be missed and it will be a great vacuum for us to fill in the future. bob filner had a years' long odyssey for filipino veterans who fought along u.s. troops in world war ii but were denied benefits through their service. so the war -- the united states congress broke its promise it

had made to these veterans and for decades to follow, they struggled to secure fair treatment, similar to that afforded to the men who fought alongside them. as chairman of veterans' affairs committee, bob filner was in the middle of this fight. i wish him well as he moves on to a new phase to his service to the people of san diego. jose baca, or joe baca, has been a friend of mine for a long time. school boards and all other elected offices, but since we served together in the california state assembly to the halls of congress, joe was chairman of the congressional hispanic caucus while i was chairman of the congressional asian pacific congressional caucus and we stood together to fight against harmful english-only and anti-immigrant legislation in amendments. we also share a commitment to protecting the rights of native americans. particularly tribal sovereignty. joe has been a good friend. i will miss him regularly on the house floor. perhaps in a couple of years we

may see him again. i will miss laura richardson who i have had the pleasure of working with on anti-bullying issues. and end the fight to make sure that lbt families are recognized in our -- lgbt families are recognized in our family laws. and i move to a slightly larger accommodations and he was a strong voice on behalf of his central valley constituents. we also are bidding farewell to a large number of our california republican colleagues who served for many years. bilbray, mary bono mack, mr. galilee, wally herger, jerry lewis and dan lungren. while we all certainly haven't agreed on many policy i shallies over the yours -- issues over the years, i know they were committed to their constituents. and my california colleagues will be leaving at the end of the 112th congress, i wish them

well. mr. miller: might i inquire of the chair the time i have left? the speaker pro tempore: 46 minutes. mr. miller: i want to yield to congresswoman lois capps. mrs. capps: i want to thank george miller for setting aside this hour and he just asked the amount of time and i take that to heart. we could all go at great lengths to all of these dear people who won't be with us in the next congress. and i add my congratulations for their service to republicans and all the democrats, all of us alike. but i will speak now for the six of our democratics colleagues who on behalf of them who will not come back. and i want to start with our dear friend, lynn woolsey, who because of whom i get compared, my progressive constituents often say to me, now, lois, why don't you vote more like lynn wolsy votes? and she -- wooledsy votes?

and she was one of the first people i met. her story was compelling. as a woman member of congress, i don't know how it would be to raise kids by herself. she's a great voice and advocate for all mothers, all working families and particularly those who carry extra burdens themselves. she's put her heart and soul into her work in congress, and it shows. as i met you early on when i came here, i knew you were kind and befriended me. i know you served your constituents in the same passionate way. and i thank you for the role model you've provided me. howard berman has provided another kind of role model for me. my husband before me came to congress in part to work on middle eastern issues. and there's a go-to person in this congress that i always relied upon for advice and support in that area, and that's howard berman.

he's a congressperson's congressman, in my opinion. and my human rights watch folks have held him in such high esteem. it's been a very great honor to serve almost as a neighbor to him. with his district in the central valley, san fernando valley, and mine on the coast, it's been a real joy to have him as a colleague here, and i will treasure always his role in getting me elected and also keeping me here. . i came to congress from the health care field, so the name i heard often was congressman pete stark. and been here since the 1970's. knows all about health care and i'm pleased, mr. stark, that you have been here through the passage of the affordable care act.

that's a crowning jewel for you and all of us. but you have been through many health care ups and downs over the years and been a role model for me being on the ways and means committee and the house committee in energy and commerce. thank you for your service and friendship. it is hard to go through this list. mr. miller, this is a wonderful privilege to say thank you, the countless hours that you could add up for the service to constituents and the tremendous leadership within this body and these members who have given their all and will not be back at the 113th. it's important to say their names and to honor them and give them credit for what they have done. joe baca has been a fixture for the central valley and agriculture, someone who has

agriculture number one in my district as well. but there is much to remember joe baca for and his contributions in agriculture and the financial services committee as well. my colleague, former colleague, bob filner, who has already assumed another position within our government, as mayor of san diego. i think of bob filner and i think of veterans' issues and he was a college professor before he came to congress, as my husband was and reached out to each other in that capacity. he has worked hard on veterans' issues. i have 50,000 veterans in my district. so the g.i. bill is often something i can give him credit for and work with my veterans with. and finally laura richardson, it's my daughter's name, but i think of her beautiful singing voice and to my colleague who has given tremendous leadership

within the congress as well, but you'll take your beautiful voice with you. i have been able to work with laura on transportation issues as they relate particularly to our ports, because she is known for her work with the port of long beach and i have ports in my district as well. and will be missed on the women's softball team. we are friends here. we are colleagues here. we bring our human qualities. and we bring our leadership skills. and the california delegation makes me proud every day and in the next congress, it will be the memories and the service that has been given to us from these colleagues of ours. and that's why i thank you, mr. miller, for setting aside this hour for us to share our thoughts. >> i saw that andrew and hunter are here. the stark kids. i would like to yield to congresswoman barbara lee.

ms. lee: thank you very much. and i want to thank you, congressman miller, for organizing this special order tonight. first to congressman pete stark, who is our departing dean of the california delegation, congressman stark represents a district right next door to my district in the east bay of california, northern california. i just have to say, i have known congressman stark since i was the president of the black student union at mills college in the early 1970's. and i will never forget this. i wrote then my congressman stark a letter on behalf of the students at mills college with a request and he responded so quickly. and replied to that request in a positive way. so on behalf of all those students then, congressman stark, and on behalf of myself today, i just want to say thank you, thank you for demonstrating

what exemplary constituent service was all about. i have known congressman stark probably more than most members here because i had the privilege to work with a great statesman and known congressman stark during that period. we always say we have some of the most outspoken and well informed and engaged people in this nation, and congressman stark certainly has been at the forefront of making sure that his district became closer to our federal government and brought the government to the people of his district. and so the east bay thanks you, congressman stark yt and our entire delegation thanks you for so many years of great public service. i was fortunate to be on the house foreign aquares committee with chairman howard berman. and i tell you, howard berman's understanding of global affairs is unmatched. also, i just have to say, he was

such a tremendous asset in our global fight against hiv-aids and really got it so early and helped us negotiate and put together the bills that have been so successful in moving us toward an aids-free generation. i have to say with regard to chairman berman, i appreciate his fairness and his objectivity and his commitment to global peace and security. it's an honor to have served with him and i'm going to miss him because i honor him as my friend and i know all of us are going to miss him. but i know we will work with him in the future on so many issues that he cares about. congressman filner is leaving a strong legacy of support for our nation's veterans who have benefit touchdown tremendously from his knowledge and impassioned add vow cast si. congressman filner was a freedom rider and brought the spirit of

justice to his work here in congress. congressman filner has done an exemplary job as ranking member and chair of the veterans affairs committee, as we have heard earlier and our entire caucus can be proud of his outstanding leadership. and as the daughter of a veteran, i understand very deeply those obligations that our nation has to those men and women who have served. i had the privilege and honor to help in his campaign and i have been in san diego with bob, the love and the affection that his constituents have for congressman filner is just really unparalleled. i want to congratulate him for his magnificent win. it was a tough campaign, but he did an unbelievable job and that's because people in his district really knew him and he had provided the level of services that allowed him to be elected now as -- we will call

him very soon, mayor filner. joe baca, congressman baca, has been a voice for the poor and underserved during his entire career, not only here in congress but in the california legislature. i was privileged to work with joe on many, many issues, and he has been a consistent voice, both in the california legislature and now here in congress, for protecting low-income families from unfair predatory and credit practices. he has used his seat on the house agricultural committee and house financial services committee to help the most vulnerable americans. he has consistently played a role in raising funding levels for food stamps and nutrition programs to feed over 44 million hungry americans. he was a powerful voice against anti-immigrant laws and built bridges on the history of our

nation. we will miss his principal leadership and his passion for serving as a voice for the voiceless in congress. and my fellow congressional black caucus member, laura richardson, she has many accomplishments during her brief time. she has worked hard to improve our nation's infrastructure and been advocate for inclusion of minority and women-owned businesses and opened up economic opportunities and strengthened our schools. i know she is going to move forward to make more contributions in public service because she is focused and dedicated elected official. i have to pay tribute to my sister, lynn woolsey and i can't say what a bittersweet season this is after seeing you work so many issues. lynn woolsey has made sure that this body recognizes that peace

is patriotic. and she has spoken 444 times on the floor as it relates to the needs to bring our young men and women home. and i look forward to our continuing work. she has been a role model for me. and i have to say finally in conclusion, she understands the importance of the safety net and brought the perspective that comes from relying on public assistance during lean times in her life and gave me the courage to talk about my time on public assistance, which was so difficult for me. to all of our departing members, i'm going to miss you, but we'll see you at home and will continue to fight the good fight. mr. miller: i would like to recognize congresswoman matsui. ms. matsui: i would like to thank the gentleman from california, mr. miller, for yielding time to me and bringing us together. mr. speaker, when the 113th congress starts next year, we

will be greeting many new colleagues and we'll have to say good-bye to some of our current colleagues both republican and democrat. we are saying good-bye to six members, representative stark, berman, woolsey, filner, baca and richardson. while in congress, these members served a strong advocates for their constituents for california and for our country. for the many years of service, these six members have ap depth of institutional knowledge that will be missed come next congress. first of all, i want to pay tribute to my good friend, congressman howard berman. howard berman has served for 30 years. i first met howard when he was living in my hometown of sacramento. he was serving in the state legislature at the time. his daughter and my son were in pre-kindergarten together, so we would see each other as we

dropped off our kids. little did we know then that we would end up being friends, both serving here in congress. you know, we have all learned a lot from howard. we have learned to depend on him, his counsel and his advice. his knowledge and leadership, particularly on foreign affairs have been invaluable to congress. his absence from this chamber will be strongly felt and he will be sorely missed, but will forever be a friend. congresswoman lynn woolsey, has been a strong advocate for families during her time in congress. she was also one of the founding members of the out of iraq caucus where she acted as a leading proponent of bringing our brave servicemen and women home from war. she fought for those whose voices were often not heard and

for add vow cast si and spirit will be missed. as the dean of the democratic california delegation, congressman pete stark has been a leader and mentor to many members from california over the years. he has been a chairman on health care issues for a very long time and his work on the affordable care act improved the law and helped ensure all americans access to affordable and quality health care. we will remember his very important contribution. congressman bob filner, ranking member on the committee of veterans affairs and helped to ensure owe returning veterans have the services they need. we'll miss him here in congress, but i know he'll make a mark as mayor in the city of san diego. joe baca has been a strong advocate for california's agricultural industry while in congress. he has worked on behalf of the

workers themselves, making sure they received the civil and legal rights they deserved. congresswoman laura richardson has worked hard to keep america safe as a member of the homeland security committee. her constituents are unwavering and she will be missed next year. california is a large state with many needs and priorities, but our delegation is strong. during the time in office, these members have been esteemed colleagues and it's been an honor to work along side of them. their knowledge, passion and commitment to public service will be greatly missed in these halls. and i wish to thank each of them for their service and wish them the best in the next adventure. i yield back. mr. miller: i recognize congresswoman eshoo.

ms. eshoo: i want to thank -- did you want to know how much time you had left first? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has 29 minutes. mr. miller: we're fine. thank you. you're fine. ms. eshoo: thank you. i want to thank the gentleman from california, my dear friend, mr. miller, for organizing this special order tonight. so that we can take some time, which is the most precious thing really that god gives us is time. and pay tribute to our colleagues who have spent their time being giants in terms of representation and fighting on behalf of their constituents, bringing honor to the house of representatives and to our country. some of the best exports of the

bay area and of our state of california. i want to start with the dean of our delegation, congressman pete stark. we salute you, pete. for all that you have given and done. it's an extraordinary record for 40 years in the house of representatives. your name has been synonymous with health care, consistently for all of that period of time. for fighting for a place in that health care system, for people that are unknown to so many in our society and rejected. you made room for them in the emergency room. and wrote a law that no one would be mistreated. in fact they have to be treated before they were asked whether they had health insurance or not. your record is replete with great and good things. on behalf of your constituents,

on behalf of those that so much of society has overlooked. and i know that those blessings will come back to you in a very rich and meaningful way as you depart this place. we will miss you. and i thank you for your personal kindnesses, for all the wonderful things that you have done. and the bay area delegation will miss you enormously. next i want to pay tribute to howard berman. to congressman howard berman. this is really hard to do. congressman berman's name is synonymous with the following, with farm workers and their rights. with human rights around the world. anyone that has met and worked with him respects him.

it matters not what side of the aisle they have ever come from or what country they come from or what agency they have worked in. howard berman is -- has been the indispensable member in this chamber. when he took over the leadership of the foreign relations committee we saw a new and inspired leadership there, demanding a recognition of the armenian genocide. and he served as the original co-sponsor of that legislation. his record is replete with distinction. replete with distinction. and, howard, in our delegation i don't think there's anyone -- we will all miss you in a very, very deep and special way. this house will miss you because

you brought honor to it in everything that you have done. so it is bittersweet. no, it's just bitter. there isn't any sweetness to it. but i know that when i speak of you and really can't bring enough words to one of the most distinguished records over 30 years that any member of congress could ever put together , that the american people thank you, freedomlovers and human rights advocates around the world appreciate and bless your name and i know that together with janice, with lindsay, you haven't seen the last of us. we're going to keep coming after you. and to lynn woolsey, my classmate, we came here, we couldn't even find our way to

the credit union. we were so terrified. but together we came and lynn has brought an exceptional voice to families and to women. so often women heading up those families. and she spoke through the prism of her own experience, which is the most powerful story that anyone can ever tell. no one could ever say to lynn woolsey, you don't know what you're talking about. because they knew that she lived it, that she had experienced it and she came here to change so many women's lives, the lives of families, in terms of education for women and girls, for stronger family benefits. i could go on and on. and she brought great voice and vision to the unfortunate policy

, the march to folly, when we invaded iraq. she came to this floor over 100 times to speak against that invasion and we are all -- we are all in her debt for her conscience, for her integrity, for her wonderful voice, for her friendship and for the -- her love of the environment of the coast of california. which if there is ever the magical touch of almighty god, you see it there. and she has called on the president and the congress to make sure the protections will be there for -- in perpetuity. we will remember you in per pute, lynn, and i -- perpetuity, lynn, and i ask that every bless you brought to your -- blessing you brought to your constituents in this house will come back to you.

to our republican colleagues, jerry lewis, elton gallegly, wally herger, mary boneow mack, dan lungren and david dreier, we thank you. i thank you for your service to the people of this country in this, the house of the people, the magnificent house of representatives. thank you. mr. miller: i'd like now to recognize the leader, the democratic leader, congresswoman nancy pelosi. ms. pelosi: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank you for yielding, mr. miller. i know that we have a time limitation so i will begin by associating myself with the remarks of congresswoman eshoo who speak so -- spoke so beautifully and knowledgeably about our colleagues who are leaving from -- who are from california, who are leaving. i rise today to thank my colleagues who are friends and our partners from the great state of california.

the members we honor in this special order, i'm going to just do this because it's way down low. demonstrate the extraordinary divert of our great -- diversity of our great state. they hail from the greater los angeles area to san diego. they bring california's wide range of interests and aspirations to the floor of the house every day. working side by side with the entire california delegation, their service, our service has been -- has strengthened the golden state, the commitment of our departing members has strengthened the congress, their achievements have advanced the character of our country. each of these members has brought a unique voice to the table, yet each shares the same core values, a devotion to public service, a dedication to opportunity, a belief in a promise of america. congresswoman woolsey spent her career fighting to improve the education of our children, the

economic security of their families and the protection of our workers, as well as that coastline. with her departure i won't -- departure, i won't say retirement, because she's not a retiring person, the bay area loses a powerful advocate in congress and the nation loses a tireless progressive leader. it was i think mr. miller who said 400 times that lynn woolsey came to the floor to speak against the war in -- our involvement in the war in iraq. thank you, congresswoman woolsey. so it's about the patriotism of this congress and of the participation as patriots of our colleagues from california. whether it's the education of our children, whether it is the health of our people as demonstrated by congressman pete stark. we all owe you, pete stark, a great debt of gratitude. he has been a fixture in the fight to build and strengthen the pillars of health and

economic security for the american people from his seat on the ways and means committee to the house floor, he always remained a fierce fighter for medicare and for a passionate advocate for the affordable care act, because he believed that health care is a right for all americans, not a privilege just for the few. his legacy will live long and have stronger support for the well-being of our seniors, our families and middle class. i hope it is a source of pride. i know it is to your family. that so many of your colleagues respect you so much. and honor your leadership and service here. as has been mentioned, congressman filner left us, he's already the mayor of san diego. he was a freedom fighter who fought for civil rights and equality. he was a representative of san diego who never waivered in support of our veterans and he served as the chair of that committee. we wish him well as mayor of san diego. congresswoman richardson has dedicated her time in congress to rebuilding infrastructure,

advancing the dream of high speed rail, securing our borders and protecting our environment. we wish her well as she goes forward. congressman berman, we go from b to w. berman to woolsey. and every wonderful thing in between. has spent a -- congressman berman's imprint can be found on legislation across the broad spectrum of issues before the house. many of us knew him long before he came to congress, knew of his work, working with farm workers, working labor law to protect the rights of workers. and two particular areas, his expertise is simply unsurpassed. he's a true expert on international relations, a past chairman of the foreign affairs committee, ranking member now, a champion of aid to israel, a fight against hiv-aids, and the toughest iran sanctions in the history of our country. he is a senior member of the judiciary committee who it's safe to say understands

intellectual property, understands their importance, even mentioned in our constitution, and he understands the challenges and the opportunities they present. and every venue and every arena he has been a proud advocate for los angeles and california. a cherished leader for the entire house. joe baca is a lifelong public servant, a paratrooper in the u.s. army, look at this, the 101st airborne and the 82nd airborne divisions. he served california state legislature. he made his mark standing firm against harmful and an ty immigrant measures and leading -- anti-immigrant measures and leading on food stamps. it's fraught with meaning. a lot of work and leadership he put into it in the farm bill. joe baca came from humble beginnings, yet his accomplishments are truly significant. the list goes on and on of our

colleagues that congresswoman eshoo mentioned. all of these members, public service has been a calling, a cause and a core facet of their character. california has been proud to have them as our representatives in congress. for those of us who served with them, it's an honor for each of us to call you colleagues. for some of us, a very, very special honor to be considered your friend. we all wish you -- we each wish of you much success in the years ahead. we look forward to coming -- continuing our work together on behalf of our great golden state of california. your service in congress added to the luster of our golden state. thank you and congratulations. mr. miller: i thank the leader. if i might inquire of the time available. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has 15 minutes remaining. mr. miller: next i'd like to recognize congressman sam far --

farr. mr. farr: thank you very much, mr. speaker. and thank you, george miller, for setting aside this time. you've heard from a lot of my colleagues. i think what is interesting about this moment in history is this is probably the largest retirement ever of any delegation at any one time. california is losing 25% of its incumbent delegation. seven republicans and seven democratless. that's 14 people that have been here and of the seven democrats, they were here for historical moments of electing nancy pelosi from california, the first woman speaker of the house of representatives, and here to pass the first in history comprehensive health care bill. led by californians, i might add, and led by the dean of our delegation, pete stark. pete stark is one of the oldest, longest serving members of congress, been here 40 years. i think there's only two, three people that have served here longer and he's watched this delegation come and go since

1973. he's here tonight with his beautiful family and it's a wonderful, interesting -- pete, of all the people coming into congress, is the only one that came just right from the private sector. most of us got elected to local and state governments. but pete came right here right out of, you know, the background at m.i.t., in engineering, and then a degree from berkley in business administration in 1963. he founded the security national bank of walnut creek which became during the war years known as the progressive bank and the bank that was going to loan to people that weren't otherwise getting loans. and he became a very popular leader in his community, built the bank into a $1 billion financial institution. having a background in the air force and other civic activities, he ran for congress and got elected and has been here, as i said, for 40 years and he's here tonight with his

children. he also has four daughters and three sons and eight grandchildren and married to deborah rod rick, also of california. . we are going to miss pete. followed also by howard berman from southern california, background at ucla and law degree from ucla. i was a staff member when he was a california legislator. he came with a background in vista and got elected to the house and has been the leading ranking democrat, probably the most trusted person in congress for foreign affairs. and with his background in labor issues for farmworkers in california and advances they made under federal law. but also as the speaker pointed out, as the leader pointed, one

of the few persons that understand patent law, copyright, trademark, all those things important to the entertainment industry and the manufacturing, electronics industry and information technology industry. he has been a senior member. so we're going to miss him deeply, deeply. i feel like a son of howard berman. he ran for the state assembly. i'm going to miss him. lynn woolsey's 10 terms, senior to me. i got elected six months after lynn got sworn in. i remember how proud i was of her background in local government and roles she played in sonoma and marin county. and she has spoken 440 times speaking for peace. going to be leaving this body

known as the lady of peace and will be here in history forever and ever. and i remember bill clinton recognizing the backgrounds of people and lynn woolsey was the first woman elected to congress who as a single mom had to be on welfare and worked her way out of that and leading role to show that there are opportunities for you -- for all people in this great country. but the lady of peace is the most important of all. bob filner, background in local government. went back to local government after being involved in school districts and now the mayor of san diego and came here as a freedom fighter in the civil rights movement and led the veterans committee here. joe baca will be known as the captain of our baseball team and how he did so well in that, but had a proud background as the speaker said, in the air force

and paratrooper and the list goes on and on. laura richardson is leaving us. and before this, early resignation of dennis cardoza. seven democrats. going to miss them greatly and thank you for allowing me to speak on behalf of their great service to the federal government. mr. miller: thank you, mr. farr. i want to also as congresswoman eshoo and congressman farr acknowledged, there are others from the other side of the aisle who will be leaving after this session of congress. brian bilbray, marry bono mack, david dreier, wally herger, jerry lewis and dan lungren. we have had accomplishments together. jerry lewis and i had the longest floor debate over the

creation of desert national parks, mohave desert national parks. when we were done, he was opposed and i was for it, but he made sure the public had access to it and visitor centers. members of congress do -- this isn't just a working relationship. over time, you get to one another's families and know their children's successes and desires and trouble that befalls american families. people don't think of that when they think of the congress and you build relationships and friendships and depend on one another's expertise to guide us through all of the issues that we will confront in a congressional year. congressman stark and myself, we enentered public policy --

public life together by running against one another in 1969. man against machine. i know who it was, this very popular banker and law school dropout. other than that, doing well. but it's a long-standing friendship and it's about family and our ability to talk with one another. and i would like to yield to congressman stark for any remarks he would like to have. mr. stark: thank you, one of the previous speakers mentioned -- you forgot to mention this that i probably had one of the best five-minute speeches of any new member of congress and if i could learn a deliberate lesson in 20 minutes, i would have a great career here. george is right, we ran against each other and when you grow up in the bay area and you have people like barbara lee who was

the lone vote in one of the most unpopular wars, you learn what courage is and people who fight for children, for minorities, for all of the people in our area who need help, i'm proud to have worked with them. they have said that i'm the oldest member of congress. that's absolutely wrong. i'm the 430th youngest member of congress. and i just want to make sure you get that straight in the record. thank you, george. i'm honored and i'm particularly honored to be part of this great bay area delegation. and 10 districts surrounding the bay area, we have the finest legislative group in the united states. thank you very much. and i yield back. mr. miller: thank you very much. as we all know in this life, members leave the congress, don't leave public life and i

expect we will be hearing from them as they leave the congress in their future endeavors. mr. bilbray wants to clean up the sea and dan lungren would like to take down -- and i know wally herger is concerned about the watershed of the parks of our state. their advocacy goes on and that is true on both sides of the aisle. ms. woolsey, if you would like to say anything. ms. woolsey: thank you, george, for doing this. thank you for honoring us that have been here and are now leaving. i arrived feeling very green and feeling very good 20 years ago. i had no idea how little i knew

about how to get something done in the congress. i know i burned in my belly and knew what issues were important to me and they have stayed important to me for the last 20 years, but i had the advantage of working with some very wonderful senior members who generously helped me along and i had the privilege of having very talented staff who built the stage that i could dance on. you can't do that unless it's team work. and i thank you, everybody that's been part of these last 20 years. it's been quite a ride. and i'm glad i did it. thank you very much, george. mr. miller: mr. speaker, that brings to a conclusion our delegation's honor of those members leaving. this is not news to members of the house that on a bipartisan basis, this is a very, very spirited delegation on both

sides of the aisle. and a lot of seniority is leaving the congress with this delegation, a lot of expertise, but i'm very proud to have served with all of them. and for their contributions and sacrifices they made in public office on behalf of public policy that they strongly believe in and became advocates for. with that, i yield back. i recognize mr. berman who is >> 10:00 and 6:00 eastern on c- span. >> my inspiration was the idea i wanted to explain how

totalitarianism happened. we do know the story of the cold war. we know the documents. we have seen the archives that described the relationships. we know the main events from our point of view. what i want to do is show from a different angle from the ground up, what did it feel like to be one of the people who were subjected to this system and how did people make choices and in that system and how did they behave. one thing that has happened since 1989 is the region we used to call eastern europe has become very differentiated. they no longer have much in common with each other. >> more with anne applebaum from the end of world war ii through 1956 from "iron curtain" sunday

night at 8:00. >> president obama talks about friday's shooting at an elementary school in newtown, connecticut. >> on friday, we learn more than two dozen people were killed when a gunman opened fire at an elementary school. most who died were elementary children with their lives ahead of them. among the fallen were also teachers, men and women who devoted their lives helping children fulfill their dreams. our hearts are broken today. we grieve for the families of those we lost. we keep in our prayers those who survived. they know their child's innocence has been torn away far too early. as a nation, we have endured far

too many of these tragedies the past few years. an elementary school in newtown, a shopping mall again from oregon, a movie theater of in colorado, countless streetcorners and places like chicago and philadelphia. any of these neighborhoods could be our own. we have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this from happening. regardless of politics. this weekend, michele and i are doing what i know every parent is doing, holding our children as close as we can and reminding them how much we love them. to families in connecticut, they cannot do that today. they need all of us right now. while nothing can take the place of a lost child or loved one, all of us can extend a hand to those in need to remind them that we are there for them, that we are praying for them.

the love they felt for those they lost endorsed not only in their memories but their communities and in their country. thank you, and god bless you. >> john boehner sent his prayers and condolences. he said there would be no weekly address so president obama could speak for everyone in this time of morning. tomorrow, stan colender and josh gordon have the latest news on the fiscal cliff negotiations. matt kibbe discusses freedom works and the fund-raising and goals going forward. and steven cook looks at egypt

opposed the referendum and what is next for president morsi. sunday at 7:00 eastern on c- span. >> the white house was a very controversial. there was competition. he submitted the design for a palace. americans are not having a palace. it was not particularly on conspiring. in 1821, a european diplomat said it was neither large nor on inspiring. the answer the congressman said, the building served its purpose. if it were larger and more elegant, perhaps a president would be inclined to become its permanent president. >> vicki goldberg has gathered a few of her favorite photographs

in "the white house." sunday at 7:30 p.m. on c-span 3. >> tonight we are showing you farewell speeches and tributes from the 112th congress. first, richard lugar from the senate floor, followed by john kerry. and then the california rip lynn woolsey to the house of representatives. she is followed by a to be to outgoing telephone representatives. -- a tribute to outgoing california representatives. >> richard lugar when the senate in 1977 after mayor of minneapolis. he is the longest serving senator a center of the state

history. he was defeated by the state treasurer richard murdock. chairman of the foreign relations committee from 1985 to 1987 and again from 200 this is about half an hour. >> madam president, i rise today to address my colleagues on a number of issues important to the future of the united states and to offer some perspective on senate service. in a few weeks, i will leave the senate for new pursuits that will allow me to devote much deeper attention to a number of issues that have been a part of my senate service. deeper attention to a number of issues that have been a part of my senate service. amonthese are preventing the

proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and developing more efficient ways to feed the world. i am especially pleased that i will be serving on the faculty of the university of indianapolis and helping that institution establish a washington internship program. i look forward to announcing additional endeavors of service in the coming weeks. my service in the senate would not have been possible without the encouragement and the constant support of myoving wife, char, our four sons, mark, bob, john, and david, and the entire lugar family, most of which is with us here in the galleries today. their strength and sacrifices have been indispensible to my public service, and i am also very much indebted to a great number of talented and loyal friends who have served with me in the senate, including, by my

count, more than 300 senators, hundreds of personal and committee staff members, and more than 1,0 student interns. in my experience, it is difficult to conceive of a better platform from which to devote oneself to public service and the search for solutions to national and international problems. at its best, the senate is one of the fouers' most important creations. a great deal has been written recently about political discord in the united states, with some commentators dging that partisanship is at an all- time high. having seen quite a few periods in the congress when political struggs were portrayed in this way, i hesitate to describe our current state as the mt partisan ever, but i do believe that as an institution, we have not lived up to the expectations of our constituents

to make excellence in governance our top priority. many of us have had some type of executive experience as governors, mayors, corporation chiefs, cabinet officials. i had the good fortune of serving two terms as mayor on -- of indianapolis, prior to my senate -- of indianapolis, prior to my senate service, and for the last 36 -- my senate service, and for the last 36 years, i have attempted to apply lessons learned during those early governing experiences to my work in the senate. as a mayor, my responsibility for what happened in my city was comprehensive and inescapable. citizens held the mayor's office accountable for the prosaic tasks of daily life, like trash collections, fixing potholes in the streets, snow removal, but also for executing

sttegies for the economic and social advancement of the city. in legislative life, by contrast, we are responsible for positions, expressed through votes, co-sponsorships, interviews, and other means. it takes courage to declare dozens or even hundreds or positions and stand for office, knowing that with each position, you are displeasing some group of voters, but we do our county a disservice if we mistake the act of taking positions for governance. they are not the same thing. governance requires adaptation to shifting circumstances. it often requires finding common ground with americans that have a different vision than your own. it reqres leaders who believe like edmund burke that their first responsibility to their constituents is to apply their best judgment. it is possible to be elected and re-elected aga and again and gain prominence in the

senate while giving very ltle thought to governance. east one can even gained considerable notoriety by devoting -- one can even gained -- gain considerable notoriety by raising money, focusing on public relations. responsibility for legislative shortcomings can be pinned on the other party or even on members of one's own party. none of us is above politics, nor did the founders expect us to be, but we should be aspiring to something greater than this. too often in recent years, members of congress have locked themselves in inflexible positions, many of which have no hope of being implemented in a divided government, and se of

these positions have been further calcified by pledges signed for political purposes. too often, we have failed to listen to each other and questioned the views being promulgated by our parties, whether they make strategic sense for our country's future. there was a rasmussen poll conducted this month that found only 10% of likely voters gave congress a rating of excellent or good. for me, the irony is that having seen at several generations of lawmakers pass through the body, -- having seen several generations of lawmakers pass through the body -- eager to contribute to the welfare of our country. often, the public does not believe that. it is easier to assume that congressional feelings arise due

to the incompetence or even malfeasance of individual legislators or, perhaps, washington, d.c., itself is corrupting. it is dioncerting to think that the shortcomings are complex and defy simple solutions, but the founders were realists. parochialism, personal ambition. they understood that good intentions would not always prevail, and, accordingly, they designed able -- a way to prevent power from accumulating in a few hands, but they knew such republic would require a great deal of cooperation, and they knew it would require most elected officials to have a dedication to governance, and they trusted that leaders would arise in every era to make their

plan work. the senate has a role to play in good governance. we have power is not exercised by the executive branch. -- we have powers not exercised by the executive branch. senators can have careers spanning decades, allowing them to apply expertise over decades, even as administrations come and go. we can also confer a bipartisan foreign mark on a policy. even a small bipartisan group of senators is a powerful sial othe possibility for unifying solutions. my hope is that senators will devote much more of their anjous to governance. in a perfect world, -- more of their energies to governance. this is a very high bar for any

legislative branch to clear, but we must aspire to it. we are facing fundamental changes in the world that will deeply affect american security in our standard of living. a list of such changes is long, but its start in asia with the rise of china and india -- but it starts in asia with the rise of china and india. at theenter of this pivot is china, which exits as an adversary and a fellow traveler, ensuring mutual goals -- in sharing mutual goals -- as a fellow traveler, sharing mutual goals. this will impact american

relations with the rest of asia and may even help determine prospects for peace or war. in visiting thailand and the philippines in october, i was reminded of the economic vitality of southeast asia and the fact that that tend countries comprise an asean represent now the fourth largest export market of the united states. these countries are center stage. we must stand firm with our friends throughout asia and actively pursue prospects for free trade and open sea lanes and other policies that will strengthen american economic growth. more broadly, we face the specter of global resource constraints, especially efficiencies of energy and food that could stimulate conflict and deepen poverty. we have made startling gains in

domestic energy production, but we remain highly vulnerable still to our dependency on oil, and perhaps equally important, even if we were able to produce more energy at home, we cannot isolate ourselves from energy shocks in the global economy. we have to cooperate with other nations in improving the global system of manufacturing a moving energy supplies. currently, a key to this is helping to assure the completion of a southern energy corridor serving parts of europe and unleashing our own a liquefied natural gas exports to address the energy vulnerability -- our own liquefied natural gas exports to address the energy vulnerability. productivity of global agriculture will not keep up

with projected food demand on less many countries change their policies. -- unless many countries change their policies. agriculture technology, including genetically modified techniques. their risk of climate change intensified this imperative -- the risk of climate change int ensifies this imperative. access to the internet and social media has deeply affected international politics, in most cases to the better, but it has also contributed to bucky balls, like the arabs during -- but it has alsoontributed to of people -- to upheavals, like the arab spring. potential catastrophe remains

of a terrorist attack on america, an employing -- on america and employing weapons of mass destruction. we could be set back by re than one decade or more. having devoted considerable time to this problem, there are no silver bullets. protecting the americans from weapons of mass destruction is a painstaking process that every day must employ our best technological, diplomati and military tools. we must maintain the competitiveness of the united states in the internatnal community. we should see education, energy efficiency, access to global markets, the attraction of immigrant entrepreneurs, and other factors as national security issues. my own view is that the

fundamentals of american society still offer us the best hand to play in global mpetitiveness. no other country can match the quality of our post secondary education. we have the broadest technological base and the most advanced agricultural system. our population is younger and more mobile than most other intentional lies nation's -- most other industrialized naons. the competitive genius of the american people has allowed us time and time again to reinvent our american economy, but we must deal with failures of governments that have delayed resolutions to obvious problems. no rational strategy for our long-term growth and security should fail to restrain current entitlement spending, and no attempt to gain the maximum, a strategic advantage from our

human resource potential -- gain the maximum, strategic advantage from our humanesource potential -- and encourages the most talented immigrants to contribute to america's future. there is a need to elevate our senate debate pitting it is vital that the president and congress established -- there is a need to elevate our senate debate. it is vital that the president and congress established -- establish -- such as war with iran or another catastrophic terrorist attack. this depends on congressional leaders who are willing to set aside partisan advantage and on administration officials who understand the advantage of having the support of congress.

currently, the national securi dialogue between the president and congress, in my judgment, is one of the least constructive i have ever witnesse there is little foundation for resolving national security disputes or even the expectations that can occur. now, before the next 9/11, the president has to be willing to call republicans to the oval office and establish the basis of a working partnership in foreign policy, and republicans have to be able to suspend opposition that serves no purpose but to limit their own role and render cooperation impossible. all should recognize the need for unity in the coming year when events in ira syria, no. -- syria, and others will test amican security in extreme ways. i commend each of you, my senate

colleagues for the commitment that allow you to stand for election to the united states senate to begi with. running for office is a difficult endeavor, usually accompanied by great personal risk and cost. each one of you is capable of being a positive force for changing the tone of debate in our country. each one of you has the responsibility to protect the integrity and represent your constituents, but also to make informed and imaginative choices on which our country depends. i am optimistic about our country's future. i believe that both internal divisions and external threats can be overcome. the united states will continue to serve as the inspiration for people seeking peace, freedom, and economic prosperity. and the united states senate should and will be at the forefront of this advancement.

may we see each day, got our creator -- each day from god, our creator -- and may god continue to bless the united states of america. >> the gentleman from indiana. >> the service of richard lugar, and to pay tribute to his legacy. i have served beside him during my two tours of service here in the united states senate. all of us want to make a difference. most certainly, senator lugar has done that. at an early age, he developed a passion fo knowledge. a native of indianapolis, he was valedictorian at his high

school, a distinguished institution where knowledge is at the forefront. one of our former members, ted stevens, was also a graduate of that high school. dick lugar then went on to become valedictorian at is university, where he graduated with a degree in economics. he went on to attend oxford university as a rhodes scholar and got a master's degree in politics, philosophy, an economics, and today, he is one of the most decorated scholars in the united states sene, with 46 on re-degrees from 15 states and the district of columbia. -- with 46 or honorary degree is -- 46 honorary degrees from

15 states and the district of columbia. i would say the navy chose the best person they could have for that job, and dick lugar became known not only for his hard work but hisntellectual prowess. senator lugar, at the young age of 35, became mayor, serving two terms. there is no question that dick lugar is recognized as one of the most influential and visionary mayors that indiana has ever seen, and i would submit that the country has ever seen. i was working full time and attending indiana law school at night, and that did not leave much time for us to enjoy the amenities of indianapolis, but, frankly, thereere very few to

enjoy it at that particular time. it was then that our newly- elected mayor began a transformation. it is now one of the most attractivend livable cities in america. he worked with the assembly. he extended the boundaries of the city and provided comments, is essential services more efficiently, -- and provided common, essentials services more efficiently -- essential services more efficiently. it became a model for the country.

moving from the 26 largest city to one of the nation's dozen laest cities. when i think of the changes over the past 40 years, i see the fulfillment of then-mayor dick lugar. men and women of sense and decency. not all of us all in that category. sometimes, that sense is questioned.- is such skill is extremely valuable in the united states senate, a body that by its very design is supposed to foster compromise by legislators on issues before the nation. and so, it was a national progression that following his success as mayor, dick lugar's

its job would be as united states senator. next job would be as united states senator. he is the type of lawmaker and a leader who works hard to bring both parties together, find common ground. his contributions are many, including his service on the agricultural committee. hisost important role in the senate has to be his leadership of the senate foreign relations committee. as a two-time chairman of this committee, he has been one of the most influential minds on foreign policy in the united states. he has worked tirelessly to promote arms control, dismantle nuclear arms, and address the global food crisis, among others.

among his many accomplishments, his legislation will nolikely be -- when senator lugar joined, he traveled to the soviet union, on multiple occasions, to gain a better understanding of how the united states can dismantle and secure weapons of mass destruction. he champions the landmark legislation -- he championed legislation that makes the world a safer place. it has deactivated more than 7500 nuclear warheads that were once aimed at the united states, a contribution to which americans can never give enough thanks. over his 36 years in this institution, senators from both

side of the aisle have considered him a trusted resource when it comes to foreign policy and many other important issues. he has been a consistent resources for those who seek thoughtful answers. when i first arrived here in 1989, we operated a unique joint-office arrangement, sharing staff. many of our colleagues were surprised by this arrangement. dick lugar and i liked to tell them they were getting twice the work for half the price. his sincere desire to reach across the aisle, to find common ground, and his unique talent fororging coalitions and bringing people together to accomplish big things -- a tribute to senator lugar would

be incomplete without recognizing the support of his wife, charlene, and his sons. public service has demands on our families, and thei support and saifice plays a role in the success of any senator. it has been an honor for me to work with senator lugar. i am thankful for his service to indiana and our country. we wish you and your family nothing but the best as you begin this next chapr of your life. you have outlined many other ways that you will be ntinuing. that is a great benefit. i am certain we will continue to learn and benefit from your lifetime of public service. i know my colleagues join me in thanking him for h >> after the 112th congress,

retired dick lugar is heading back home to join the university of indianapolis. he will be in the department of history and political science. he served on the board of trustees will he was mayor and establishing the on the university board of trustees while he was mayor his replacement is the current indiana representative and democrat, joe donnelly, who defeated the indiana state treasurer in the 2012 november election, just shy of 50% of the vote. ranking member richard lugar joined john kerry at the 196th anniversary of the foreign relations committee.

chuck hagel of nebraska gave the keynote address. sponsored by the u.s. capitol historical society this is over one hour. by the u.s. capitol historical society this is over one hour. >> ladies and gentlemen, if i could have your attention? we will start our program. i think it is great where we can have an event where everybody is so interested in visiting with each other, that it is a great success when that happens, and i hate to put a damper on it, but we do want to get going, and i do appreciate your attention,

and i am sure that gentleman i will introduce will also appreciate it. i am with the u.s. capitol historical society, and i have the honor tonight of introducing three gentlemen who actually need no introduction, because i know you people are very much aware of the highlights of their career and quite knowledgeable about the senate and the congress, so i am going to dispense with that, and, of course, each one of them had some leadership positions in our nation's foreign policy as members of the foreign relations committee, and we will hear about some tonight. i also did a littlresearch myself and found that all of them have also written books. in fact, some have itten more than one book, so instead of me giving you the usual, canned

introduction, i thought i would let their own words in their own writing introduce them. i start with john key. he came by his interest in foreign affairs as the son of an american diplomat, as well as his own experiences in vietnam. in his book "a call to service," , kerr -- service," senator kerry talks about being a brat. being erseas, you are exposed to many things, and it teaches you. he noted that his father was often transferring not only overseas but also back into the united states.

he wrote, "1 assignment that he had in washington that had an especially strong effect on me is when he was -- the formulations committing -- the foreign relations committee. i testified on behalf of the vietnam veterans against the war, and when i was elected to the u.s. senate in 1984, i fought with my staff 438 solid day is over or serving on the foreign relations committee -- i fought with my staff for three solid days over serving on the foreign relations committee. i was determined to get on the foreign relations committee, and i have been there ever since."

ladies and gentlemen, john kerry. [applause] >> tomm, thank you very much -- tom, thank you very much. i had totally forgotten that i was that candid. [laughter] i made a very wise decision. everybody was pulling their hair out and saying, "we do not do anything anymore." what a pleasure to be here. it is really a pleasure to be here. i am honored to be here with many of my colleagues, beginning, of course, with the ranking member, my friend, joe biden's friend, an extraordinarily respected colleague, and dick lugar is here, too, and everybody here

just wants to say thank you for everything you stand for. [applause] dick, dick is an absolutely -- a statement. it is said that a politician is a man who understands government. a statesman is a politician who has been dead for 10 years. but the truth is, as we all know, dick lugar has managed to transcend that, and bob from tennessee, i am delighted he is here -- from georgia, and from my neighboring state of new hampshire -- and earlier, we had a number of other members drop

by. i want to thank each of the members that i just named. they are interlocal, thoughtful members -- they are integral, thoughtful members. i am very grateful to them for the diligence they use and their ability to put ade the the sometimes-partisan division, which is what we need to do on that committee. i want to thank the historical society for bringing us together tonight. we are really a privilege. all of the members -- we are really privileged, all of the

members. it is a force for bringing our nation's history alive and for creating all kinds of exhibits, helping young kids to come to this place and understand their own history, and more and more, i think everybody would agree that that is really important because it helps to put the business of the country ahead of politics. i think all of my colleagues would agree with me -- find ways out of this current predicament the country is as divided as i can remember at any time of public life, from the 1960's and e 1970's about war, but we are now divided between red and

blue, the coasts, the heartland, secular and religious. sometimes i am reminded of william faulkner's words. at times, we feel that way. the full quote was from shakespeare about sound -- about fury. i am not going to go there. i think it is safe to say that we are all long way away except in the great moments where we do we are a long way -- i think it is safe to say that we are a long way away except in great

moments. "we thanked -- thank thee that thy servant, in a time that called for gatness, and grew into greatness -- greatness, grew into greatness," and i am thankful for all of the ambassadors here, because they understand how much the world is changing, how complicated relationships are, and how important it is for all of us in all of our country's -- countries to summon us to something bigger, to greatness.

we have been blessed to have a guy like dick lugar, whether he served as chairman or served as ranking member, he has always been atudent of public affairs. he tried to find common ground. tributen's letter is a to that. i have seen him worked -- work. it has been a vision. reaching out and taking some of those kinds of risks. but even with the great satan of

the former soviet union, richard lugar was able to reach out and make things happen. i remember as a young senator, just arrived, and actually, a member of my family -- this is not something i have talked about much in the city -- a governor of the philippines back in the early 1900's, so i had a fascination with the new weapons because of family involvement there for some period of time -- i had a fascination with the philippines because of family involvement there for some period of time. this relationship between him and his people and us and them -- i came back, and the first thing i did with the foreign relations committee is to put in a resolution to link or aid, and marcos responded by calling an

election and sayg, " i am going to -- "i am going to prove to the united states who is in charge here." the national movement for free philippines. a cathedral i attended, an extraordinary mass. that was a place where we saw these 13 women come out, midnight, and the only lights were the television cameras, and each told of the numbers they were putting in -- the numbers

they were putting in were not the numbs coming out on the board, in the election was being stolen, -- and the election was being stolen, a dick said we have to ll this the way we see it. we rushed back, met with president reagan, and dick lugar and others changed history with that even. it is remarkable. that is what the foreign relations committee membership can do. chuck is another guy who understands that. he continues to do it. i respect so much his willingness to speak out directly, his constancy, when he was here, in being able to take on his own party at times, but just speaking, to u the

rrible cliche, of truth to power. we took a trip to afghanistan, and we were in one province, and during the flight back, we got involv in some snowstorm in the helicopters. man, i will never forget this chopper pilot, suddenly in a panic diving, and we went down in an emergency landing on the top of this mountain, in mass es of snow, and the whole time, the general was briefing us, and he never stopped briefing us. [laughter] we were in crash mode, and we choked -- joked that we should

give a speech, and we would be airborne again with hot air. we, first of all, thought we would assign one of us to give a speech and talk them down, and then we decided that is not going to work, so we set up a snowball squadron, and finally, we were rescued by a bunch of humvees, and we had to drive down the mountain in this long escort, so there are these wonderful memories that come with these journeys, sitting on a plane late at night and talking about the problems of the world, and i would just say to you quickly, i do not want to abuse my privilege year, -- here, it is a great privilege for me being able to serve for some period of time, and it is

up to the american people what happens, so i always viewed this with a certain contemporary nest -- a certain temporary- ness. i did cut my teeth testifying. and it was a very different time in the senate, where you can find relationships on the other side, building them, mak things happen. i want that senate to come back. it is certainly what the founding fathers intended, but we are facing now a world that is obviously profoundly changing, and nobody can put that genie back in the bottle. nobody can. there is only one way to respond

to this world, and it is try to tame the worst courses of globalization, and i believe that can be done. the foreign relations committee is probably one of the world's greatest -- to do that. it is an extraordinary bully pulpit. we will have a hearing on human trafficking. pandemic around the planet. there are many other things that we're obviously working on. we will soon be talking about people with disabilities and rights, and needless to say, the new historic treaty, the chemical weapons convention. so much hahappened through this committee, and it was mentioned in the beginning what happened with respect to the

early times of the committee. the alaska purchase in 1867. the accomplishment of the united nations. the passage of the truman doctrine, and, of course, not least, the rebuilding ofurope and japan after a war where the united states, against the will of the american people -- they were not in support of the marshall plan, but, today, no one could argue that it was not essential to the ultimate transformation of the former soviet union into the freedom of people in eastern europe and to a remarkable sense of ssibilities for people who had lived under the yoke of totalitarianism 40 along. those things, out of this committee. those are the possibilits -- those things come out of this

committee. those are possible. i worked for teddy kennedy. many of us were greatly changed by the assassination of president kennedy and then robert kennedy, and i will never forg the words, "i dream things that never were and asked -- ask why not," and the evening is special not only because it brings us together to celebrate the foreign relations committee and its past accomplishments, but a reminder of the debt that we owe to those who preceded us on this committee and set an example of

what it could achieve and what we can be, so i think we can learn by the way they conducted business. i also think we all need to remember, you know, what is happening in the middle east is the most significant change since the end of the ottoman empire, certainly, and it is up for grabs. today, i talked with secretary sherman, and secretary clinton is in hanoi, and we need to do things to help egypt move forward. as difficult as that may be in terms of politics. one-quarter of the world's arab ts -- the world's population has challges.

the possibility of peace in the middle east as well as what our national security picture is going to look like for some time to come, so we have to have the vision to understand that we are connected. we also need to understand that our economy is not something over here, separate from all of our aspirations. to do the things we want to do, to be indispensable nation that people view us as being, it is imperative for us to make better choices about our economy, -- to be the indispensable nation that people view us as being. that is what foreign policy is,

a balance. sometimes your interests are bigger than your values, and sometimes your values are bigger. i am convinced of this. we are an exceptional nations. we talk about american exceptionalism to the point where it grates on other countries and probably should, but there is something exceptional, i would say to you, but it is not a birthright. it is not on automatic pilot. we have only been an exceptional when we make the choices that make us exceptional, and we need to remember that it is not a slogan or a sound bite. it is when we increase our values and interests in the best way that advance the cause of our nation and also advancehe cause of our fellow human beings on this planet. that is the way the foreign

relations committee should define itself in my judgment. thank you for ordering it. -- honoring it. [applause] >> senator kerry, thank you for your current, past, and future leadership on the foreign relations committee, and let's hope we can go back to some of the old ways of working together, both sides of the aisle. i know as a house member, there is a lot of challenges in that body. richard lugar is a true gentleman . he is a uversally respected voice for the development and implementation of a bipartisan foreign policy.

as a gracious in defeat as he has always been in victory, he is one of the giants -- as gracious in defeat as he always has been in victory, he is one of the giants. probably his lasting legacy will be the reduction of nuclear war and nuclear weapons in the world. dick's passion for seeking long- term solutions to complex foreign policy problems instead of opting for the slogans and short-term political and manages is best summed up in his books -- book. dick, i do not know iyou ever get any of the money, but i read your book on a kindle, so that

money should someday find its wa to you. here is what he wrote in 2004. >> too often, the motivation for important national security positions of both parties is driven by politics. they are disconnected from any credible analysis. a consensus foreign policy cannot be wished back into being, nor can it be manufactured overnight in response to an immediate crisis. it can only be restored gradually over time with the development of mutual trust between congress and the executive branch." dick lugar, we will miss you. we feel we have a loss, and thank you. [applause]

>> chairman tom, i am so indebted to you for your thoughtfulness and your friendship. ronald sarasin, we are honored, and there are the attributes of my good friend john kerry. we had a wderful time on the committee, and john cited the philippines as an adventure, but there were so many. i just appreciate all of our colleagues on the committee being here tonight and the

distinguished ambassadors, and we are grateful to each one of you for honoring the committee and honoring the historical society on its anniversary. i want to think again the capitol historical society for offering -- i want to thank again the historical society. with the comprehensive research efforts of very diligent staff members, i hope you will forgive the indulgences of their findings. i want to make some comments. by my count in the history of the senate, only five members have served 30 years or more on the committee. all five began their service in the second half of the 20th century.

this is partially attributable to increasing life expectancy in to the fact that many members of the committee during the 19th century and early 20th century did not begin their foreign service service until 6, 8, or even 10 years in. john kerry had the foresight to join immediately. it has been far more common in recent decades for fshmen to be granted a seat on the foreign relations committee thanefore. chris dodd and another gain a seat -- gained a seat on the committee and held it. another served 32 years, having gained a seat in his fourth year

as a senator. at the end of this year, i will have served 34 years on the committee, joining vice- president biden, who reached that tenure before he was elected to his current position. both of us gained a seat on the committee after two years in the senate. vice-president biden also holds the distinction of being the third foreign relations committee chairman to become vice president of the united states. it is an understatement to say that he is having much more success in his role than his two predecessors. the first chaian to become vice president had tuberculosis when he was elected and died only 25 days into his vice presidential tenure. he holds the record of the fewest days served of an elected a u.s. executive office.

even president harrison, who became sick after exposing himself to a rainstorm on his inauguration day, managed to last a full month in office. the other chair of the foreign relations committee who was vice president was lincoln's first vice president. he spent much of his vice presidency in his home state of maine, a difficult platform from which to influence policy in washington, d.c., and he was much more fortunate than william king in that he survived his term, -- like senator kerry, my first contact with the committee was even before i became a senator. i was awarded a rhodes

scholarship. i arrived at oxford, and i was told of tutorial work. in my first year of residence at the college, emboldened by stories, i decided to write to a senator who was a member of the senate foreign relations committee but not yet its chairman. he was in the midst of an in battled relationship with senator joseph mccarthy of wisconsin region -- he was in the midst of an in battle -- embattled relationship with senatoroseph mccarthy of wisconsin. i senator fulbright and i shared

common experiences. senator fulbright and i won scholarships and chose to study at pembroke college. both of us focused much attention on it government d economics at oxford. both of us were blessed with the same tudor. -- tutor. both of us were elected from states in the interior of the u.s. that were not associated with international interests. both of us sought a wea on the foreign relations committee and ascended to the chairmanship. senator fulbright holds the record as the longest serving chairman of the foreign relations committee, a tenure in stretching from 1959 to 1974. my tenure as chairman was only six years, but i hold the record of the most time elapsed between

my first and second chairmanships, 16 years. i did not have the pleasure of serving with senator fulbright and the senate. he left office two years before i was elected. but his influence on my career was profound and pernent. he was especially generous to me when i became chairman of e committee in 1985 for the first time. what senator fulbright understood is the main function of the foreign relations mmittee is oversight of the administration's policy. the committee is responsible for substantial areas of legislation, including the state department budget, for assistance, and treaties. in most years, its biggest impact comes from its role as partner and counterweight to the administrati's actions on a global scale.

the role of the committee is to constantly question the president's foreign policy activities. reinforcing some and we directing or opposing others. to some degree, every committee exercise oversight. in myxperience, no committee has such a broad expanse of activities to monitor. this is reflected in the fact that in many years, we hold more hearings than any other senate committee. we also send more nominees to the senate than any other committee, with the possible exception of the judiciary committee. confirmation hearings on hundreds of nominees are served to vet the nominees and review our policy towards individual countries were represented, partly because of this fast oversight role, chairman and

ranking member, i have attempted to encourage members wit few years of experience to stay on the committee, to build continuity and expertise. i believe the senate of the united states foreign policy in general benefits of having experienced members who are willing to commit to a long-term service on the foreign relations committee through many presidential administrations. but retaining members has become an increasing challengen recent years. on the republican side, our conference on rule prohibiting simultaneous service on any two of the super 8 committees, appropriations, finance, foreign relations, has led to many short tenures. conference rules on the other side of the aisle are more lenien the democrats are also seeing

turnover. beyond conference dynamics, most members of the committee must deal with the reality that f ew political benefits come from devoting oneself t the foreign relations committee. on the plus side, our members are invited to appear on sunday morning talk shows more often than most. and service on the committee is someone said -- sometimes seen as a useful credential when seeking higher office but the foreign relations committee and has a difficult platform from which to appeal for campaign funds. and there is a very little public spending that flows to this committee to constituents. absent a series global crisis, foreign policy tops the list of concerns -- rarely tops the list of concerns of voters. the committee depends heavily on members who want to devote a

substantial portion of their service to foreign policy and national security regardless of other roles they play in the senate. and my hope is that many more good senators will continue to come forward to embrace this role. i thank each one of you tonight for your contributions to the committee, for recognizing its importance and its members, for recognizing the historical importance of the committee to the senate into our country. may god continue to bless the united states senate, its foreign relations committee, and especially may god bless america, the country we love to serve hot. thank you very much. [applause]

>> during his 12 years in the senate, chuck hagel served as a member of the foreign relations committee. today, as chairman of the elected council and co-chair of the president's intelligence advisory board as well as a member of the secretary of defense's policy board, the senator continues to play a leading role in the development of america's foreign policy. 2008, chuck wrote a book he titled "america, our next chapter." he was kind enough to give me a signed copy.

i read it for this occasion, hoping to find a passage that would serve as his introduction. i want up identifying 13. don't worry. reduced it dowto two. the first passage happens in the first paragraph of his book. "of all, i think of myself as an american. if you had asked my dad, he would have said the same thing. that is how we thought in nebraska, in ainsworth. there were 100 other towns in the western part of the state, a couple of churches, a hardware store, a movie theater that always had a double feature, two gas stations, and an american legion post. it was the kind of town where if you roll down your car windows and turned the radio out loud, you could hear buddy holly singing peggy sue from one end of main street to the other. now we know of his favorite song was. just down the road, my great

grandfather and great grandmother lived in an apartment above the bakery across the street from the drugstore. they shared their small apartment with two grown sons, wounded vets of world r ii, who got by on disability pension. eventually, huck and tom would leave that nebraska town and find themselves in the jungles of vietnam, serving side by side, there were both severely wounded by the viet cong in a land mine explosion. able to survive through the night. of that experience, he wrote, from that day on, i was a changed person. i remember a strong resolve coming over me as i were chopper climbed over the canopy of the jungle and i watched the steam rise above that in the morning light. i made myself a promise that if

i ever got out of this place, was ever in a position to do something about it, i would make sure that war so horrible, so and riddled with suffering, i would do whatever i could to stop it. i've never forgotten that promise. i made it to myself but also to everyone who answers the call to serve their country. i think of it every day, because once you set a war in motion, its consequences are the ones least iended and they are always on controllable." chuck haglel. [applause] >> tom, thank you. i am grateful for the opportunity to be here for many reasons. to my not old but longtime

friend, ron serson, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, we got acquainted on the fifth floor of the cannon building. this is too high class a g roup. was rightn's offe next to the closet. and he performed admirably. his wardrobe consisted, no unlike congressman coleman's, of the wide lapel jacket, much like a horse blanket. they have two -- to havae two gillman of the caliber and the kind of public servants they work -- two of that caliber to lead the u.s. historical society, congratulations on the

anniversary and what you are doing with this institution. i do not know of anything more important than to preserve history, to apply that history to our future generations. mr. scruggs is here. here is a man who has made some contribution to that effort. the memorial he was responsible for leading, it would not have been built without him. [applause] it was testimony, yes, to those who served and those who made the ultimate sacrifice, but memorials are built for the future. memorials are billed for the next generation and the next generation. they are billed to remind us and to recognize the great virtues

nobleness ofthe man. of course, it's a high privilege to be here with two for relations chairmen. between them, i believe 62 years of service on the foreign relations committee, and you add to that vice-president biden's service, the three of them represent about 100 years of service. that is a rather significant amount of time and a significant contribution to this country. for all the reasons you have heard tonight from these two gentleman to my former colleagues, some were here tonight, to new members of the foreign relations committee that

i did not ve the privilege of serving with, thank you for what you continue to do for our country. one of i think the most important parts of this job, one of the great privileges of this job is to recognize a firstf all, we are. we are not republicans. we're not democrats. we are americans. i was often asked,ut senator, you oppose your party or you challenge for president. i would as cheerfully as i knew how respond, i am the united states senator. i am a united states senator representing nebraska. i have a philosophy about government which happens to fit the republican party, at least my interpretation. but i am not a republican

senator. i am a united states senator who happens to be republican. and i think the foreign relations committee and it's been eloquently noted here tonight by two of the very best preserved in this business, have clearly articulated that. there was no one in this room at does nounderstand what they said or has not witnessed this. the colleagues on the committee here tonight and the staff see it up close every day. i also want to recognize char lugar for her service. for what youyou, have meant and the contributions to have made to not only dick but the senate. [applause] supporters.

this society, no institution can ist without the financial support and the resignation -- recognition of the worthiness of the institution. so all of you who have faithfully contributed continue to contribute, continue to write or checks. is that correct? that's a big part of this. thank you. my remark are going to build on what our two chairmen have talked about and that is the framing of the foreign relations committee. like john kerry and dick lugar and joe biden, as the vice- president noted in his letter, like every senator here, when you get here, you have to make some choices.

if you are freshmen, you have limited choices, but you make choices about committee assignments. in the senate, you have more of a menu, more of an agenda, a variety. and i recall the day after i was elected to the senate, november, 1996, the world herald sat down with me and we did an interview. the first question i was asked was, is there any member of the senate that you would like to emulate? is there any member of the senate you would like to model your career after? i responded by saying, not being yet a wise senator but hopefully all wise senator, all the senators. all had made great contributions, all have

something to say and it is important for our country. i said, yes there is one senator who are very much would like to model my service after and that is dick lugar from indiana. that appeared on the front page of the evening edition. my noting it was dick lugar who i had most of my. second question was what committee assignments do you think you would like to see? without hesitation i said, foign relations committee. i do not think that was surprising to the reporter who was doing the interview was the political reporter who had been around for four years in nebraska -- for 4years in nebraska, because he had noted, in august of that year, i gave a major, not of the quality of

kerry-lugar-biden, a mear effort, a major feign relations speech at the university of nebraska in august, when everybody was gone. and the reporters were a bit surprised probably by the vacuousness of the content, but they were generous and gave me some considerable notation, but the question they posed to me was, why would you give a foreign relations speech in nebraska? we have never followed a senate candidate who no one knows, who has not held public office, and he would give a major foreign policy address. we, when that same reporter asd me the question, what committees are you going to try to get seats on i said

immediately, foreign relations. he said why? and of course, not unlike what john kerry and dick lugar had noted and everyone in this room knows it, especially the members on the committee today, you cannot raise money on that. in this kind of a dead end committee. what does it do? nobody cares. i said, you are wrong. the foreign relations committee, all the committees in the senate frames america's interests more than any committee. when you think about it it does. it is not just the things that john and dick talked about, the oversight and all the things that dick talked about in his item as asian and his agenda that the foreign relations committee does. but it is the 19 additional responsibilities that most people do not have any idea that come under the jurisdiction of

the committee. i will give yoan example of that. many of you in this room will remember -- i know my most learned colleagues will -- 1997-1998, there was an asian currency crisis that began with the russian ruble, then the baht, and it affected markets. i was also on the banking committee. bob corker and i served on that committee together. and i remember the chairman at the time saying, the banking committee will take control of that. jesse helms as chairman. and jesse and his staff, and some staff members might recall this, said the banking committee does not have jurisdiction. the foreign relations committee

has jurisdiction. i happened to be a very jr. chairman of the subcommittee that was the international policy -- international policy committee. i got that subcommittee because no one else wanted it. that was fine with me. i was a chairman of something. i knew it was important but nothing really has happened. when this happened, i became very popular with bob rubin, the treasury secretary, and president clinton. the fact was, that demotto and phil graham were outraged and said, you are wrong. and jesse said, no, read the jurisdiction. re enough, he was right. i use that as but one example. when i say framing america's interests, again, this has been noted tonight as john kerry

talked about -- economics, trade, relationships, stability, security, diplomacy, everything, everything revolves around the foreign relations committee and most of it recites inside the foreign relations committee. -- resides inside the committee. as noted here, too, the up and down of committee, not unlike markets, not unlike nations, which are clearly recounted in history, you work through those waves of different committees at different times. but when john kerry talk tonight about arthur vandenberg's comment, and everybody on the committee knows it. let me take that a little further. that comment was made by a republican senator who had bee

a bit of an isolationist going into world war ii. in 1946, most of you know, truman was the president. and he was facing a republican congress, senate. and arthur vandenberg became chairman of the senate foreign relations committee in 1947. that is when he said that. the significance of that statement at that time, because events are always captive to timing and to atmospherics, and to the environment, because those are the pressures that dictate and dominate all is -- leadership, consequences, votes. he said that because he recognized that that was the beginning of the cold war, after

world war ii. if america was to succeed and lead what there was of the free world onto higher ground, which later as we all know through history produced the marshall plan and other such events which help stabilize a very unstable and unsure world, especially europe. there was no guarantee that york was going to turn out in any -- that europe was going to turn out the way it did turn out. but the responsible thing to do was to say what he said and work with the administration and that committee led by the republican, which you might also note, i know the members on the foreign relations committee -- it was arthur vandenberg who authored the nato resolution, which set up nat now, i offer those two examples

as further testimony of what we have been talking about tonight, what's dick and john talked about. i want to take this a little further, because i think you've got to point about foreign relations. everything that john kerry said and dick lugar about our current political environment is right. and i would suspect that no one in this room with question that america is not very happy. our congress is not happy. we're off-balance. in churchill's words, the gong of 9/11 has knocked us off balance. we have not gotten back since. we can go back to 1989 when the soviet union imploded. what that did was set in motion

a dynamic of global proportions that no one has ever had to deal with before and we are still working our way through it. nato . why do we need nato? our senior members recall vividly the deport. -- the debate. we put that aside and never answered that question. in its place, we put nato enlargement. i happen to support and i think john kerry and dick lugar were strong supporters, but the oer change of that was nato enlargement, which again was house in the foreign relations committee, and all the hearings were in theoreign relatio committee and the decisions made in the foreign relations committee were brought out on the floor and in the house as well -- it was not so much now

about what nato was 50 years before. collective security. this was as much about and maybe more about economic security for those eastern european nations that were untethered. what do we do now? that nato membership meant a tremendous validation to the new democracies because, yes, it gave them the imprimatur of nato. but far more important than that, as every business person knows, it gave investors and companies some reliability in theirinvestment in one of thoscountries. so this was now a different dynamic that had been introduced into the world and nato

specifically that we have ever seen before. it was clearly a verify economic dynamic. i use that as just one exple. that was contained in foreign relations. the 12 years that i served in the senate, greatest 12 years of my life, no privilege like it, i often have thought about those 12 years, having nothing to me. i was a fleeting steward. but you think about what john kerry talked about, what has happened in the world. what is the problem? ourselveswe bring together to find a new crowding, a purpose? we do not have a common enemy. we have a war on terrorism. what is terrorism? terrorism is a tactic. is not a philosophy. it is not a form of government.

it is a tactic that has been around since man got off all fours. but there is no common purpose of anything and the greatest a fusion of economic power in the history of man has confused everybody i. these are some of the factors that are playing out. the committees in the congress -- now i want to go a little wider and my concluding remarks -- committees are damned important. they are so very important. i recognize that when i first got to the senate. everyone of my colleagues recognizes it. i did not appreciate it as much as i did at the end of 12 years, or as i do today. because what resides in that effort and process -- and process is important w. we get kicked around in washington about process.

what does process do? it does not do anything. it prolongs the problem. imperfect, yes. but here is what process does. why it is critically important for society. it absorbs shocks. if you do not have a process, you cannot absorption. when something happens, and it always does, look at our world last few years -- shock, shock, shock. we have had institutions that have been able to absorb the shock. the greatest challenges are ahead of us. they have to be done to the committee work, because the committee work is the only forum, the onlyrocess that allows intelligence and intelligence and understanding, knowledge, discourse about identifying the problem, short- term, long-term, and how do we fix it. that takes consensus. rarely did i er see, unless it was a mother's day resolution, what i voted for, come on the

senate floor that was a controversial issue if it had not gone through a committee first. sand down the rough edges and try to work to the compromises of the democrat-republican amendments and come to a consensus when you voted out of the commiee. there is no other way it can work. these issues are too big, too complex. after rely on the committee system, the committee structure. is more so today than ever before and will continue to be that way. so the emphasis on committees i do not think it can be overstat. the other part of that is, again something john mentioned, the interconnectedness of committees. not jurisdiction of committee oversight but how is indirect -- interconnected. there is not one part of our security, the future of 7 billion people that has not

connected to everything else. energy, environment, security, economy, trade, education, jobs, religion. you name any element that drives society, has always dictated the outcome of civilizations, it is now all woven into one fiber. you are not going to fix that on the floor of the senate or the floor of the house, or my distinguished friends who are here from other countries that serve as ambassadors, as good as their parliaments are, you will not fix it in their parliament on the floor. it has got to be done through a process and the system. that is why these systems, these committees are so important. i'll end my comments this way. i do not know of anyone who has lived and recognize and worked

on these issues as well and as honestly as dick lugar over has over the years. i know he has been noted tonig for that effort. you will be serious thing this. everyone recognizes that. -- you will be seriously missed. but i will say that, with the members of the senate to o coming behind you, dick. and john, i know you are not ready to leave yet. but who are coming behind you, the greatest advantage you have given, dick, and to you, john, your younger colleagues is the role modeling i began comments on tonight. because every one of these colleagues sitting here tonight watched the two of you, how you

have done. i would add to biden. joe biden. that is the greatest legacy will leave. all the pieces of legislation with your names on it, leadership conference's, bills named after you, that is not real. first of all, it is not your money. is the taxpayers' money what you do leave is to leave that legacy of leadership in how you did it and you did it the right way. i have great confidence in this country because, as imperfect as our process is, as imperfect as our public servants are, and we all are, we all learn, i don't know of a group of men and women who are more committed to make a better world than those who offer themselves for public office. and if we are just wise enough to understand that and build a consensus around that, we will have differences, we should have

differences, but it has to start in committees. strength of those committees is not just the academic parbut get to know each other. john kerry talked about dick and others when we traveled together, we sat in planes together. i sat in an suv with joe biden for eight hours going to the turkish border io kurdistan. sitting next to joe biden for eight hours, i learned a lot. i finally had to give up and say, i cannot do it anymore. i had my mother on the phone with him, i had everybody. but you get to know the humanity. and that is what we are missing more than anything else, the humanity of the service of this noble, a noble cause. committees do that better than anybody, in any way. in committees are important

probably as much for that reason as anything else. thank you, all, very much. [applause] >> chuck, thank you very much, and ladies and tenement, thank you as well. nator, for your thoughtful remarks. i want to present you with this book of architecture and decoration of the capitol. [applause] i have senator kerry. actually, you can find a way around. chuck hagel and i go back to, as he mentioned to the fifth floor

of the canon building. when i was elected, i cannot get an office because i had to wait for chuck hagel and his boss to leave 511 canon. 511 canon is in that attic of the building. it is a piece of real a state that nobody wants. only one elevator goes there, two elevators no one can find you there so it was very peaceful on the fifth floor. that is where i met chuck. we have been friends for four years. senator kerry and lugar, we have momentos for you. these prints for you of washington city. we're happy to give to you to chairman john kerry. [applause]

i want to thank everyone for being here today. i have to give you some instructions on how to leave this room, because after 8:00, the main door is locked. so you may not be able to get home tonight. first, i want you to look around. this is the room the titanic hearings were held in, the watergate hearings, the mccarthy hearings. this is a very, very historic room in the complex of the united states capitol. we are very grateful for the opportunity to be here. i want to thank the donors who did so much to make this evening possible. walmart, caterpillar, express scripts, exxon mobile. now the instructions on how to get out of here. guests should exit down the right quarter from the rotunda.

take another right at the end of the corridor, take the elevator to the basement. the guard will direct to from there. what you are trying to do is get out of the dirksen building at . you cannot get out of this building. the doors are locked. you have to go out of the exit door in dirksen. thank you, all, for coming. this has been a wonderful evening. great comments. thank you very, very much. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012]

>> ladies and gentlemen, please take the centerpieces home with you. >> coming up on c-span, california rep and democrat lynn woolsey delivers her farewell address from the house floor. followed by a tribute by other members of congress to outgoing california representatives. mr. speaker, throughout my career in public life and even before nothing has motivated me more than a desire to end wars and violent conflict. when i was a small girl, saying

bedtime ayers or making a birthday wish blowing out the candles, i always asked for world peace. so no surprise that over a decade ago i opposed the iraq war before it even started. it was appalling that we would invade a nation that hadn't provokeds, had nothing to do with 9/11, and did not have weapons of mass destruction. it was a lonely fight at that time. but i didn't do it to be loved. it was a matter of principle. barbara lee, maxinwaters, and i formed the triad, woolsey-waters-lee to organize our opposition. we held forums. we developed and out of iraq caucus. we traveled around the country. and in january, 2005, i offered the first amendment here on the house floor calling for our troops to be brought home.

some of my own party thought that it was a mistake. that we wouldn't get any votes or enough votes and that we would be embarrassed. well, i told them that even if i were the only oneoting to bring our troops home, i would not be embarrassed. as it happened we got 128 bipartisan votes. that very first time. so you see, mr. speakerwhen you lead,people follow. because of a handful of progressive leaders and progressives in our country that were vocal and fearless, evtually public opinion turned. it turned against the iraq war, it turned towards peace. if we and otr outspoken advocates hadn't ignored conventional wisdom and had pressed for peace and hadn't -- hadn't pressed for peace, the war in iraq could still be going on today. in april mr. speaker, of004,

i started speaking from this very spot on the house floor about my strong anti-iraq war conviction. eventually these speeches focused on afghanistan where we have now been waging war for more than 11 years, despite more than 2,000 americans dead and nearly $600 billion wasted. even though we are undermining our own interests and failing to bring security and stability to afghanistan. over the last eight-plus years, i have spoken here, nearly every day that i could. to drive home what a moral disaster and strategic failure these wars have been. when constituents and others call or come up to me or write and thank me, i say, but we are ill there. i don't deserve thanks until all of our troops are home.

you know, mr. speaker, because you have been here for many of them, my speeches haven't just been about bringing our troops home, they have offered a new vision for global engagement. from here i have outlined my smart security platforwhich calls for development and diplomacy stead of invasions and occupations. civilian surges instead of military surges. smart security means helping other nations educate their children, care for their sick, and strengthen their democratic institution. smart security says we can make america safe by building international good will, by empowering people with humanitarian assistance instead of sending troops or launching one attacks. it's the right thing to do, it's the smart thg to do, and it costs pennies on the dollar

compared to military force. so, mr. speaker, today i'm delivering that message for the 444th time and my final time on the house floor to speak on a five minute special order. this is the last of my special order speeches on war and p and smart security. i'm retiring from congress at the end of this year and i lieve part of my legacy will be that i worked diligently for peace and a safer world. so in closing, mr. speaker, i'd like to acknowledge that sometimes i have been accused of wanting a perfect world, but i consider that a compliment. our founders strove for a more perfect union, why shouldn't we aim for a perfect world? you see, i'm perfectly and absolutely certain that if we don't work toward a perfect world, we won't ever come close

to providing a safe, healthy, and secure world for our grandchildren and their grandchildren. so i thank you, mr. speaker. and i thank my wonderful staff who had helped me over the last 20 years to work for a perfect world which means peace, health, >> replacing lynn woolsey in the 113th congress will be jared huffman. he defeated daniel roberts with 70% of the vote. he will represent the second district in california after serving g g g g g s in the state assembly. consume. mr. speaker, i rise today with my colleagues to pay special tribute to several members of the california democratic delegation. it whose service in congress is shortly coming to an end.

these six members served this house and their constituents with dedication and deserve our gratitude for the hard work they have done on behalf of california and our country. representative joe baca who was elected in 2002, served for 10 years from the 43rd congressional district. representative howard berman elected in 1982 and served 30 years from the 28th district. representative bob filner sworn in this month as mayor of san diego and served for 20 years. representative laura richardson served for five years from the 37th district. representative pete stark, outgoing dean of our delegation was elected in 1972 and served more than 40 wreers from the 13th district. representative lynn woolsey served for 20 years from the 6th congressional district. much kk said about the distinguished careers of our departing colleagues, but i

would like to offer a few remarks of the work i have joined them during their time here in the congress. representative howard berman has served the house for 30 years and i was honored to name him among my closest friends in this body. during his service, he worked on a wide of variety of issues and known as a champion of human rights and standing up for middle class, working class and for the poor in our country. as chair of the foreign affairs committee from 2007 to 2008, mr. berman made great progress on behalf of the less fortunate. he was a leader in securing reauthorization of our global hiv-aids program to help provide access to preventive services for millions and authored legislation removing nelson mandela and other members of the african congress on the terrorism list. finally he was a leader in raising concerns about human rights abuses around the world and key leader in bringing

additional disclosure to the trade and conflict minerals that were financed the ongoing violence in the congo. he is a strong friend of israel and passionate about the need to achieve lasting peace and a broader coalition in the house of representatives. . i want to recognize mr. berman's work on behalf of immigration and those who emigrated to this country and his work on behalf of migrant workers and farm workers all across the united states. and for that effort he received the first annual farm worker justice award by the farm worker justice fund in 2000. like mr. berman, our dean, congressman pete stark, has spent his entire distinguished career in congress advocating on behalf of those voices who were often drowned out in washington by the influence of the moneyed interest. over the last 40 years, congressman stark has been one of the foremost advocates on

behalf on efforts to ensure that americans were able to access quality, affordable health insurance. i am honored to have been one of the three principaled co- authors in the house of the historic affordable care act which will provide quality insurance for every single american. the key role mr. stark in drafting that law and made sure that the law provided needed relief for working families. this was a crucial accomplishment, yet it was far from mr. stark's only accomplishment in the field of health care. as a former chair and ranking democrat on the ways and means health subcommittee for many years, he was a leader on the health care reform. he was a lead author of the original cobra insurance bill which ensured that workers faced with losing their jobs would not also immediately lose access to the needed health insurance. and those of us who have gone through this recent downturn and recession in this country know from the testimony of our constituents how vital the access to cobra health

insurance was to the health security for their families, to the financial security for their families. he also pie neared the efforts to make modern i.t. systems available and required within the health care systems of this country that will help us improve the outcomes of health care and hopefully drive down the cost of health care and provide better care for patients within this system. he i think along with sam gibbons of florida pie neared the idea that there should be medicare for all. and beat on -- pioneered the idea that there should be medicare for all and beat on that drum for a long time. it led to the improvements and passage of the affordable care act. he's also been obviously a campaigner on behalf of fairness in our tax code. and it's unfortunate that he's retiring from the congress because maybe we'll finally after since 1986 that we've

addressed this issue, there might be a chance to get something done in the next congress. but he paved the way on so many of those issues. finally in my remarks at this moment, i'd like to highlight the work of an outstanding democrat on the subcommittee on work force protection of the education and labor committee and that is congresswoman lynn woolsey. congresswoman woolsey knows their struggles. four decades ago she was a single working mother supporting three children. she knows about the economic security of families. later as a resource manager she knew things like working families are still fighting for like paid leave, paid sick leave, retirement and health care. serving as chair and ranking member of the work force protection subcommittee, lynn woolsey was instrumental in helping to get the lilly ledbetter fair pay act signed into law and military families

dealing with military deployment and injury. lynn woolsey was a partner to ensure coal miners are kept safe and healthy on the job. she went underground in a coal mine with our late colleague donald payne to require firsthand knowledge of how the workplace works and the environment in which those miners go to work every day. in the classroom, lynn woolsey continues to fight for women and working families. she was -- i want to say harsh, but i will say tough advocate. making sure that women were represented in the stem fields and the careers and women and young women had access to the sciences and to technology and to math and engineering. lynn woolsey worked to ensure kids had access at every education -- every education opportunity and a well-rounded curriculum to meet their social and emotional needs. american families have benefited from lynn woolsey's fierced a vow casey. harsh, spirited. that's our advocate, lynn.

i will miss here contributions on the education committee for the years to come. she's fought tirelessly to protect the environment. most especially in the sonoma coast of san francisco bay and hopefully the president will follow her lead and designate further protections of our ocean and marine habitat in that area of our precious coast. i am very grateful for the members for the work they have done for america's middle class and the struggles -- those who struggle to join our middle class. the work they have done on behalf of their constituents and on behalf of the citizens of this country. they all came here to achieve accomplishments, to achieve success on behalf of their constituents, on behalf of this country, and they've succeeded. and i want to thank them so very much for their service, for their sacrifice, for the ingenuity, their innovation and i would say with these three for their spirited, tough, harsh, relentless pursuit of

what they believed in terms of public policy and on my own behalf, i want to thank -- on behalf of our delegation and tens of millions of constituents that we represent in california, i want to thank representative baca, berman, filner, richardson, stark, woolsey for their service and their dedication. now i'd like to recognize other members of our delegation for the purposes of remarks. and i'd ask unanimous consent that i can revise and extend my remarks. mr. honda. i'll say to the members i think we have five or six or seven people. so however you use your time, be mindful of other members seeking to speak. thank you. mr. honda. mr. honda: thank you, mr. chairman. mr. speaker, it's with heavy heart but with great that i rise today and thank my departing california colleagues whose service will end at the

end of 112th congress. pete stark is well-known for speaking his mind and standing up for what he believes in while giving a voice to the concerns of many who often feel as though they have none. he has helped millions of americans keep their health insurance coverage after leaving their jobs. ensure people who visit emergency rooms receive help regardless of their ability to pay and help in the affordable care act. he enacted legislation to increase the number of computers in our schools. he's been a champion on broad environmental issues like battling ozone depletion, carbon emissions and has been a proponent of peace. i am honored to gain work in fremont and hope his legacy. and his son, fish, who wrote and was published as an on ed piece independent -- op-ed piece indicating the true side, the real side of pete stark,

his father. howard berman is widely known as a leader on foreign affairs, who will stand out in my mind, however, is his help while chairman of the committee on foreign affairs in moving through the committee in the house -- in house resolution 121. it was a resolution calling upon japan to apologize during the imperial army during world war ii, women forced into sexual slavery. he achieved justice for those who suffered atrocities in the past and his leadership will be missed. i also want to thank him for his leadership on the issue of pat tillman, soldier who was -- he lost his life in a firefight when in fact he was killed through -- and i want to appreciate that. lynn woolsey came to congress with a compelling story about how with the helping hand from her government she was able to raise three children by herself and have a successful career serving the people of marina

and sonoma counties. she's been a tireless voice for family-friendly policies, for protecting the coastline of northern california and for bringing our troops home and ending the misguided wars in iraq and afghanistan. lynn was a leader of the congressional progressive caucus and i call her the mom of the caucus. and her passionate voice on progressive issues, she will be missed. her leadership will be missed and it will be a great vacuum for us to fill in the future. bob filner had a years' long odyssey for filipino veterans who fought along u.s. troops in world war ii but were denied benefits through their service. so the war -- the united states congress broke its promise it had made to these veterans and for decades to follow, they struggled to secure fair treatment, similar to that afforded to the men who fought alongside them. as chairman of veterans' affairs committee, bob filner

was in the middle of this fight. i wish him well as he moves on to a new phase to his service to the people of san diego. jose baca, or joe baca, has been a friend of mine for a long time. school boards and all other elected offices, but since we served together in the california state assembly to the halls of congress, joe was chairman of the congressional hispanic caucus while i was chairman of the congressional asian pacific congressional caucus and we stood together to fight against harmful english-only and anti-immigrant legislation in amendments. we also share a commitment to protecting the rights of native americans. particularly tribal sovereignty. joe has been a good friend. i will miss him regularly on the house floor. perhaps in a couple of years we may see him again. i will miss laura richardson who i have had the pleasure of working with on anti-bullying issues. and end the fight to make sure that lbt families are recognized in our -- lgbt

families are recognized in our family laws. and i move to a slightly larger accommodations and he was a strong voice on behalf of his central valley constituents. we also are bidding farewell to a large number of our california republican colleagues who served for many years. bilbray, mary bono mack, mr. galilee, wally herger, jerry lewis and dan lungren. while we all certainly haven't agreed on many policy i shallies over the yours -- issues over the years, i know they were committed to their constituents. and my california colleagues will be leaving at the end of the 112th congress, i wish them well. mr. miller: might i inquire of the chair the time i have left? the speaker pro tempore: 46 minutes. mr. miller: i want to yield to

congresswoman lois capps. mrs. capps: i want to thank george miller for setting aside this hour and he just asked the amount of time and i take that to heart. we could all go at great lengths to all of these dear people who won't be with us in the next congress. and i add my congratulations for their service to republicans and all the democrats, all of us alike. but i will speak now for the six of our democratics colleagues who on behalf of them who will not come back. and i want to start with our dear friend, lynn woolsey, who because of whom i get compared, my progressive constituents often say to me, now, lois, why don't you vote more like lynn wolsy votes? and she -- wooledsy votes? and she was one of the first people i met. her story was compelling. as a woman member of congress, i don't know how it would be to raise kids by herself. she's a great voice and advocate for all mothers, all

working families and particularly those who carry extra burdens themselves. she's put her heart and soul into her work in congress, and it shows. as i met you early on when i came here, i knew you were kind and befriended me. i know you served your constituents in the same passionate way. and i thank you for the role model you've provided me. howard berman has provided another kind of role model for me. my husband before me came to congress in part to work on middle eastern issues. and there's a go-to person in this congress that i always relied upon for advice and support in that area, and that's howard berman. he's a congressperson's congressman, in my opinion. and my human rights watch folks have held him in such high esteem. it's been a very great honor to

serve almost as a neighbor to him. with his district in the central valley, san fernando valley, and mine on the coast, it's been a real joy to have him as a colleague here, and i will treasure always his role in getting me elected and also keeping me here. . i came to congress from the health care field, so the name i heard often was congressman pete stark. and been here since the 1970's. knows all about health care and i'm pleased, mr. stark, that you have been here through the passage of the affordable care act. that's a crowning jewel for you and all of us. but you have been through many health care ups and downs over the years and been a role model for me being on the ways and

means committee and the house committee in energy and commerce. thank you for your service and friendship. it is hard to go through this list. mr. miller, this is a wonderful privilege to say thank you, the countless hours that you could add up for the service to constituents and the tremendous leadership within this body and these members who have given their all and will not be back at the 113th. it's important to say their names and to honor them and give them credit for what they have done. joe baca has been a fixture for the central valley and agriculture, someone who has agriculture number one in my district as well. but there is much to remember joe baca for and his contributions in agriculture and the financial services committee as well. my colleague, former colleague,

bob filner, who has already assumed another position within our government, as mayor of san diego. i think of bob filner and i think of veterans' issues and he was a college professor before he came to congress, as my husband was and reached out to each other in that capacity. he has worked hard on veterans' issues. i have 50,000 veterans in my district. so the g.i. bill is often something i can give him credit for and work with my veterans with. and finally laura richardson, it's my daughter's name, but i think of her beautiful singing voice and to my colleague who has given tremendous leadership within the congress as well, but you'll take your beautiful voice with you. i have been able to work with laura on transportation issues as they relate particularly to our ports, because she is known

for her work with the port of long beach and i have ports in my district as well. and will be missed on the women's softball team. we are friends here. we are colleagues here. we bring our human qualities. and we bring our leadership skills. and the california delegation makes me proud every day and in the next congress, it will be the memories and the service that has been given to us from these colleagues of ours. and that's why i thank you, mr. miller, for setting aside this hour for us to share our thoughts. >> i saw that andrew and hunter are here. the stark kids. i would like to yield to congresswoman barbara lee. ms. lee: thank you very much. and i want to thank you, congressman miller, for organizing this special order tonight. first to congressman pete stark,

who is our departing dean of the california delegation, congressman stark represents a district right next door to my district in the east bay of california, northern california. i just have to say, i have known congressman stark since i was the president of the black student union at mills college in the early 1970's. and i will never forget this. i wrote then my congressman stark a letter on behalf of the students at mills college with a request and he responded so quickly. and replied to that request in a positive way. so on behalf of all those students then, congressman stark, and on behalf of myself today, i just want to say thank you, thank you for demonstrating what exemplary constituent service was all about. i have known congressman stark probably more than most members here because i had the privilege to work with a great statesman

and known congressman stark during that period. we always say we have some of the most outspoken and well informed and engaged people in this nation, and congressman stark certainly has been at the forefront of making sure that his district became closer to our federal government and brought the government to the people of his district. and so the east bay thanks you, congressman stark yt and our entire delegation thanks you for so many years of great public service. i was fortunate to be on the house foreign aquares committee with chairman howard berman. and i tell you, howard berman's understanding of global affairs is unmatched. also, i just have to say, he was such a tremendous asset in our global fight against hiv-aids and really got it so early and helped us negotiate and put together the bills that have been so successful in moving us

toward an aids-free generation. i have to say with regard to chairman berman, i appreciate his fairness and his objectivity and his commitment to global peace and security. it's an honor to have served with him and i'm going to miss him because i honor him as my friend and i know all of us are going to miss him. but i know we will work with him in the future on so many issues that he cares about. congressman filner is leaving a strong legacy of support for our nation's veterans who have benefit touchdown tremendously from his knowledge and impassioned add vow cast si. congressman filner was a freedom rider and brought the spirit of justice to his work here in congress. congressman filner has done an exemplary job as ranking member and chair of the veterans affairs committee, as we have heard earlier and our